BALEAP already has a relationship with the Journal of English for Academic Purposes (JEAP), published by Elsevier (online ISSN: 1878-1497). The JEAP has an impact factor of 3.1, a CiteScore of 6.6 and an acceptance rate of 11%. BALEAP has historically had an agreement with Garnet who would publish the biennial conference proceedings. Garnet has since decided to end this agreement. As such the BALEAP community needs a new home for the publication of the conference proceedings and research and practice papers that pertain to the field of English for Academic Purposes. The BALEAP Journal will be the new home of the conference proceedings. The journal will publish other submissions of any genre. The Journal’s mission is to challenge and drive the field forward.
Dear minor prophets and heretics of the field …
<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW113177380 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Body Text 1" data-ccp-parastyle-defn="{"ObjectId":"ebac6321-f82d-5a57-b529-d80cd9c742a5|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"Aptos",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri",268442635,"24",469775450,"Body Text 1",201340122,"2",134234082,"true",134233614,"true",469778129,"BodyText1",335572020,"1",134233111,"true",335559740,"240",201341983,"0",469778324,"Normal"]}">Dear minor prophets and heretics of the field… In his introduction to ‘Practitioner Agency and Identity in English for Academic Purposes’ (2024), Alex Ding (yes, him again ;-) ) champions the EAP practitioner with characteristic tenacity and aplomb. Alex foregrounds the fact that EAP practitioners have historically lacked cultural capital, among other resources, and therefore “their interests and concerns struggle to reach a readership and impact or interest the field” (2024:3). Pretty bleak, huh?
Copyright (c) 2026 Dr Susie Cowley-Haselden (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Professional Development and the Precarious Practitioner: A Critical Friendship Approach
<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW170262585 BCX0" data-ccp-charstyle="eop" data-ccp-charstyle-defn="{"ObjectId":"920dbcde-2834-5e15-a5fa-062170b236ba|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"3",201342449,"1",469777841,"Aptos",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"游ゴシック",469777844,"Aptos",201341986,"1",469769226,"Aptos,Arial,游ゴシック",268442635,"22",469775450,"eop",201340122,"1",134233614,"true",469778129,"eop",335572020,"1",469778324,"Default Paragraph Font"]}">Whilst the necessity of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) to enhance teaching practice in diverse English for Academic Purposes (EAP) teaching contexts is acknowledged by the sector (BALEAP, 2024;<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW170262585 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Abstract text style" data-ccp-parastyle-defn="{"ObjectId":"123ea899-92fe-5008-8a82-3d58a84d24c3|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"Aptos",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri",268442635,"20",469775450,"Abstract text style",201340122,"2",134234082,"true",134233614,"true",469778129,"Abstracttextstyle",335572020,"1",335559740,"240",201341983,"0",335551550,"2",335551620,"2",469777929,"Abstract text style Char",469775498,"Normal",469778324,"Normal"]}" data-ccp-parastyle-linked-defn="{"ObjectId":"ab494dc6-f61c-5f23-b9d3-3bcb86a64d81|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"Aptos",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri",268442635,"20",469775450,"Abstract text style Char",201340122,"1",134233614,"true",469778129,"AbstracttextstyleChar",335572020,"1",134231262,"true",469777929,"Abstract text style",469778324,"Default Paragraph Font"]}"> Campion, 2016; Ding & Bruce, 2017), there are still relatively few published accounts of how such development is achieved (Fitzpatrick et al., 2022; Jarnot, 2024; Knox et al., 2024) either by individual EAP practitioners or by the institutions which employ them. This has importance for all EAP practitioners but has particular significance for those working in precarity, who often have limited access to CPD opportunities. Emerging from the three authors’ CPD collaborations on a pre-sessional programme at the University of Edinburgh over the last two years, this article critically reflects on the challenges of identifying and managing EAP professional development from both the individual and institutional perspective. As a solution, we propose that critical friendship, supported by pro-active academic leadership, is an approach which goes some way to overcoming the personal, institutional, and sectoral barriers which may stand in the way of meaningful professional development. Drawn from our recorded conversations and written reflections about CPD, we reflect on the development of our own critical friendship and argue for an approach to professional development for pre-sessional teachers which has reciprocity, shared responsibility, and collaboration at its centre.
Copyright (c) 2026 Natasha Jarnot, Antigoni Kapasaki, Lindsay Knox (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Postmodern Groupwork: Developing as a Learner and Thinker through EAP
<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW115922113 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Abstract text style" data-ccp-parastyle-defn="{"ObjectId":"123ea899-92fe-5008-8a82-3d58a84d24c3|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"Aptos",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri",268442635,"20",469775450,"Abstract text style",201340122,"2",134234082,"true",134233614,"true",469778129,"Abstracttextstyle",335572020,"1",335559740,"240",201341983,"0",335551550,"2",335551620,"2",469777929,"Abstract text style Char",469775498,"Normal",469778324,"Normal"]}" data-ccp-parastyle-linked-defn="{"ObjectId":"ab494dc6-f61c-5f23-b9d3-3bcb86a64d81|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"Aptos",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri",268442635,"20",469775450,"Abstract text style Char",201340122,"1",134233614,"true",469778129,"AbstracttextstyleChar",335572020,"1",134231262,"true",469777929,"Abstract text style",469778324,"Default Paragraph Font"]}">Postmodernism has been defined as questioning the metanarratives that underpin much traditional thinking, such as universal truth and scientific progress. This gives opportunity, in a society where knowledge is valued as that which can be transmitted and computed, to the proliferation of a culture of efficiency and performance. De-centring traditional narratives can also open up a different way of thinking, where (postmodern) knowledge can instead be more fluid, multiple, local and a shared endeavour. The purpose of this study is to imagine an EAP classroom without the common metanarratives (e.g. knowledge as a cultivation of the self, homogeneous student outcomes) or performative substitutes (e.g. knowledge as a personal commodity, performed outcomes) that may underpin EAP activities. In a Foundation EAP course at a Scottish university, where learners worked on a group research project, I experimented with a postmodern approach. This involved working with mixed home and international students, supporting collaborative endeavour and welcoming heterogeneous outcomes. The usefulness of the study lies in its proposal of a type of postmodern approach that is under-explored in EAP, but powerful as a challenge to ubiquitous performativity.
Copyright (c) 2026 Judith Gorham (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Co-construction of Academic Identity in EAP: A materials-led alternative pathway for EFL-to-EAP transition
<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW7133938 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Abstract text style" data-ccp-parastyle-defn="{"ObjectId":"123ea899-92fe-5008-8a82-3d58a84d24c3|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[335551547,"2057",201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"Aptos",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri",268442635,"20",469775450,"Abstract text style",201340122,"2",134234082,"true",134233614,"true",469778129,"Abstracttextstyle",335572020,"1",335559740,"240",201341983,"0",335551550,"2",335551620,"2",469777929,"Abstract text style Char",469775498,"Normal",469778324,"Normal"]}" data-ccp-parastyle-linked-defn="{"ObjectId":"ab494dc6-f61c-5f23-b9d3-3bcb86a64d81|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"Aptos",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri",268442635,"20",469775450,"Abstract text style Char",201340122,"1",134233614,"true",469778129,"AbstracttextstyleChar",335572020,"1",134231262,"true",469777929,"Abstract text style",469778324,"Default Paragraph Font"]}">This reflective case study examines the transition from English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching into English for Academic Purposes (EAP), arguing that existing routes are often opaque and may unnecessarily restrict entry and professional development. Drawing on over four years of experience leading a diverse team of EAP practitioners, this reflective study explores how the structured use of learning materials, which go beyond worksheets and tasks, can support vocational transition and professional identity development for EFL teachers working in EAP contexts. Informed by sociocultural and constructivist theories of professional identity formation and development, the article outlines a materials-led approach that makes tacit knowledge visible through exemplars, guided practice, mentoring, and technology-enhanced learning. It outlines how a structured ‘Present, Practice, Produce’ (PPP) framework can be effectively adapted to support teacher development within EAP contexts. Our reflection demonstrates how such practices support the simultaneous development of student academic literacies and teacher professional identity within a shared pedagogical framework within institutional settings, suggesting that EAP providers should give greater consideration to supported in-role transition and professional socialisation over pre-entry requirements to promote more inclusive and sustainable practice through structured pedagogical artefacts and interactional systems that mediate both teaching practice and student learning.
Copyright (c) 2026 Daniel Devane, Dr. Sharon Mcilroy (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Working with Translanguaging and Transknowledging in EAP Academic Writing: A Work-in-Progress Report from an MA Education Module
<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW106985876 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Abstract text style" data-ccp-parastyle-defn="{"ObjectId":"123ea899-92fe-5008-8a82-3d58a84d24c3|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"Aptos",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri",268442635,"24",469775450,"Abstract text style",201340122,"2",134234082,"true",134233614,"true",469778129,"Abstracttextstyle",335572020,"1",335559740,"240",201341983,"0",335551550,"6",335551620,"6",469777929,"Abstract text style Char",469775498,"Normal",469778324,"Normal"]}" data-ccp-parastyle-linked-defn="{"ObjectId":"ab494dc6-f61c-5f23-b9d3-3bcb86a64d81|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"Aptos",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri",268442635,"24",469775450,"Abstract text style Char",201340122,"1",134233614,"true",469778129,"AbstracttextstyleChar",335572020,"1",134231262,"true",469777929,"Abstract text style",469778324,"Default Paragraph Font"]}">This Work-in-Progress paper reports on the early stages of a systematic practitioner inquiry investigating translanguaging and transknowledging within English for Academic Purposes (EAP) academic writing. Despite growing recognition of multilingual and epistemically diverse student cohorts in higher education, EAP writing pedagogy often continues to assume English-only processing and narrowly defined academic ways of knowing, limiting opportunities for both multilingual and English-dominant students to draw on their full resources during learning. The project is being implemented across two semesters within a standalone, in-sessional MA Education academic writing module at the University of Reading and introduces a preliminary conceptual framework, the Multilingual Pedagogy for Academic Literacies Framework (MPALF). The project explores how the integration of a range of pedagogical activities in the classroom can mobilise students’ linguistic and epistemic repertoires while maintaining English-medium output expectations. A student-partnership model supports the adaptation of pedagogical activities initially trialed in Semester 1 for delivery in Semester 2. This paper presents descriptive baseline findings from an end-of-Semester 1 questionnaire, indicating multiple forms of engagement with translanguaging and transknowledging among both multilingual and English-dominant students. These findings point to the importance of clearly articulating process–product boundaries in assessment-adjacent EAP contexts. They establish students’ starting points and inform subsequent pedagogical development, with cautious within-cohort comparison planned over time. The paper positions this contribution as a developmental step towards a fuller research article in 2026.
Copyright (c) 2026 Gemma Peacock (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Bridging the 2008–2026 gap: Updating the BALEAP Competencies Framework for the AI era
<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW250303220 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Abstract text style" data-ccp-parastyle-defn="{"ObjectId":"123ea899-92fe-5008-8a82-3d58a84d24c3|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"Aptos",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri",268442635,"20",469775450,"Abstract text style",201340122,"2",134234082,"true",134233614,"true",469778129,"Abstracttextstyle",335572020,"1",335559740,"240",201341983,"0",335551550,"2",335551620,"2",469777929,"Abstract text style Char",469775498,"Normal",469778324,"Normal"]}" data-ccp-parastyle-linked-defn="{"ObjectId":"ab494dc6-f61c-5f23-b9d3-3bcb86a64d81|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"Aptos",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri",268442635,"20",469775450,"Abstract text style Char",201340122,"1",134233614,"true",469778129,"AbstracttextstyleChar",335572020,"1",134231262,"true",469777929,"Abstract text style",469778324,"Default Paragraph Font"]}">This opinion piece argues that BALEAP’s 2008 Competency Framework for Teachers of English for Academic Purposes (CFTEAP) does not adequately represent the core competencies of EAP practitioners in the AI era and urgently requires a comprehensive update. While the CFTEAP has played an important historical role in supporting teacher development in EAP, it is underpinned by assumptions that predate major technological developments in the field, particularly GenAI. Drawing on recent literature in EAP, language teaching and educational technology, this paper highlights the centrality of digital and AI literacy to current EAP practice, arguing that the limited treatment of technology in the CFTEAP significantly restricts its ability to fulfil its intended roles in 2026. The paper concludes by suggesting that explicit digital and AI competency descriptors (along with descriptors reflecting other recent developments in the field) should be incorporated into an updated CFTEAP to ensure its continued relevance and utility.
Copyright (c) 2026 James O'Flynn (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Embedded Authentic Learning through Job Shadowing: A Pilot Study with International Pre-Masters Students
<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW86708470 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Abstract text style" data-ccp-parastyle-defn="{"ObjectId":"123ea899-92fe-5008-8a82-3d58a84d24c3|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"Aptos",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri",268442635,"20",469775450,"Abstract text style",201340122,"2",134234082,"true",134233614,"true",469778129,"Abstracttextstyle",335572020,"1",335559740,"240",201341983,"0",335551550,"2",335551620,"2",469777929,"Abstract text style Char",469775498,"Normal",469778324,"Normal"]}" data-ccp-parastyle-linked-defn="{"ObjectId":"ab494dc6-f61c-5f23-b9d3-3bcb86a64d81|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"Aptos",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri",268442635,"20",469775450,"Abstract text style Char",201340122,"1",134233614,"true",469778129,"AbstracttextstyleChar",335572020,"1",134231262,"true",469777929,"Abstract text style",469778324,"Default Paragraph Font"]}">This case study reports on a job-shadowing pilot within an international Pre-Masters EAP-led Research and Critical Analysis unit at a UK arts university. Drawing on experiential learning, Communities of Practice and dialogic pedagogy, the project positioned job shadowing as an authentic encounter linking academic literacies with creative industry practice. Data from tutorials and surveys indicate strong perceived value, with students reporting gains in disciplinary understanding and employability skills, while evidence from EAP outputs suggests emerging ability to translate experiential encounters into academic discourse. Challenges around securing placements, processing technical discourse and linking experiences explicitly to Final Major Projects highlight the need for closer alignment with discipline modules. The study underscores the value of EAP mediation in enabling access to Communities of Practice and demonstrates how authentic professional observation can meaningfully support academic literacies and postgraduate readiness, while also raising questions of scalability, workload, and institutional alignment.
Copyright (c) 2026 Elisabeth Mulders (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Identity, Community and Belonging in EAP: Insights and Reflections on the BALEAP Professional Issues Meeting (PIM) Edinburgh 2025
<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW133698030 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Abstract text style" data-ccp-parastyle-defn="{"ObjectId":"123ea899-92fe-5008-8a82-3d58a84d24c3|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[335551547,"2057",201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"Aptos",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri",268442635,"20",469775450,"Abstract text style",201340122,"2",134234082,"true",134233614,"true",469778129,"Abstracttextstyle",335572020,"1",335559740,"240",201341983,"0",335551550,"2",335551620,"2",469777929,"Abstract text style Char",469775498,"Normal",469778324,"Normal"]}" data-ccp-parastyle-linked-defn="{"ObjectId":"ab494dc6-f61c-5f23-b9d3-3bcb86a64d81|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"Aptos",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri",268442635,"20",469775450,"Abstract text style Char",201340122,"1",134233614,"true",469778129,"AbstracttextstyleChar",335572020,"1",134231262,"true",469777929,"Abstract text style",469778324,"Default Paragraph Font"]}">This event review examines the BALEAP PIM Edinburgh 2025, a gathering that used the theme of identity, community and belonging to provoke critical reflection on the evolving realities of EAP. Rather than reproducing familiar narratives of integration, the PIM unsettled them, offering a multi-layered analysis of how belonging is negotiated, resisted and reshaped in contemporary higher education. Across plenaries and presentations, belonging emerged as a contested process rather than an outcome, while identity was framed as relational, power-mediated and deeply intertwined with literacy practices. The event highlighted community as a relational - not structural - achievement, and foregrounded the complexities introduced by generative AI, displacement and global inequality. Through these interconnected themes, the PIM advanced a vision of EAP as a dynamic, intellectual and ethical space where agency, voice and critical awareness are central. This review argues that such perspectives point toward a more justice-oriented, reflexive and future-focused EAP landscape.
Copyright (c) 2026 Angelos Bakogiannis (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
From AI Pushback to AI Integration: A Reflective Case Study on Academic Integrity in EAP
This case study explores a leadership-driven institutional response to the challenges posed by generative artificial intelligence (AI) to academic integrity within an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) foundation programme in Kazakhstan. The context involves academic essay writing assessments suddenly becoming vulnerable to AI-assisted plagiarism via large language models like ChatGPT or DeepSeek. The evolving initiative transitioned through three distinct phases in development: an initial zero-tolerance policy toward AI use in written assignments, a subsequent developmental phrase emphasizing awareness raising and support, and a third phase involving the proactive integration of AI into the programme via the redesign of assessment and materials. Drawing on literature related to academic integrity and AI to support the author’s self-reflection, this paper draws on lessons learnt from the experiences of a case study institution outside of the Western-centric context that is often targeted for research. The investigation critically evaluates the tensions between deterrence, awareness-raising, and curriculum adaptation. Findings suggest a need for a reflective and continuing state of adaptation to the challenges of AI on academic integrity. The study contributes to the emerging EAP discourse on AI by illustrating how programme leadership can shift from reactive policies to more sustainable and constructive pedagogical integration. The conclusions also recognize the ongoing need for change and the resulting faculty fatigue drawbacks that this constant state of fluidity can bring.
Copyright (c) 2026 Alejandro Acuyo Cespedes (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Who EAP practitioners are in collaborative assessment: the eight collaborative assessment archetypes
<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW139195188 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Abstract text style" data-ccp-parastyle-defn="{"ObjectId":"123ea899-92fe-5008-8a82-3d58a84d24c3|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"Aptos",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri",268442635,"20",469775450,"Abstract text style",201340122,"2",134234082,"true",134233614,"true",469778129,"Abstracttextstyle",335572020,"1",335559740,"240",201341983,"0",335551550,"2",335551620,"2",469777929,"Abstract text style Char",469775498,"Normal",469778324,"Normal"]}" data-ccp-parastyle-linked-defn="{"ObjectId":"ab494dc6-f61c-5f23-b9d3-3bcb86a64d81|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"Aptos",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri",268442635,"20",469775450,"Abstract text style Char",201340122,"1",134233614,"true",469778129,"AbstracttextstyleChar",335572020,"1",134231262,"true",469777929,"Abstract text style",469778324,"Default Paragraph Font"]}">Who we are impacts how we feel about collaborative assessments. For some of us, the thought of assessing students through a group assignment sends shivers down the spine. For others, it is something we would like to be able to do but there is uncertainty around how to do so fairly. This paper presents an archive project arising from a research study into the EAP practitioner and collaborative assessment. The main theoretical output of that study explains the dimensions of collaborative assessment identity. Teachers may have very different attitudes towards and expectations around student collaboration, which means they will favour different collaborative assessment approaches. A sub-finding of the study was the identification of eight collaborative assessment archetypes, ranging from those thoroughly set against collaborative assessment to those who are facilitating it as best they can. Understanding the diversity in teachers’ stance toward collaborative assessment means we can better support them in developing their collaborative assessment literacy. Consequently, they will then be able to better guide and support students through a collaborative assignment, which can be a challenging but rewarding process. This paper outlines the eight collaborative archetypes and suggests avenues of future research and practice which could arise from them.
Copyright (c) 2026 Peter Levrai (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Native speakerism in EAP: the voice of an ethnic Chinese teacher
<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW136095008 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Abstract text style" data-ccp-parastyle-defn="{"ObjectId":"123ea899-92fe-5008-8a82-3d58a84d24c3|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"Aptos",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri",268442635,"20",469775450,"Abstract text style",201340122,"2",134234082,"true",134233614,"true",469778129,"Abstracttextstyle",335572020,"1",335559740,"240",201341983,"0",335551550,"2",335551620,"2",469777929,"Abstract text style Char",469775498,"Normal",469778324,"Normal"]}" data-ccp-parastyle-linked-defn="{"ObjectId":"ab494dc6-f61c-5f23-b9d3-3bcb86a64d81|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Arial",469777843,"Aptos",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri",268442635,"20",469775450,"Abstract text style Char",201340122,"1",134233614,"true",469778129,"AbstracttextstyleChar",335572020,"1",134231262,"true",469777929,"Abstract text style",469778324,"Default Paragraph Font"]}">Triggered by a critical incident that led the author to question her legitimacy as an English language teacher, this essay presents her critical reflection on native speakerism within the EAP sector in the UK. Identifying as a social anthropologist and thus straddling the discourse communities of anthropology and English language teaching, she attempts to be ‘on the inside and looking in’ to discuss the issues of discrimination pertaining to recruitment, career advancement, and professional development as a ‘non-native’ speaker.
Copyright (c) 2026 Siew-Peng Lee (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Copyright (c) 2025 Nigel Prentice (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A scrapbook of conference planning activity
Copyright (c) 2025 Sanchia Rodrigues, Dr Susie Cowley-Haselden (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
TNE EMERGING CONVERSATIONS: EMBRACE THE RANT
<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW18859843 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="FDAbstract" data-ccp-parastyle-defn="{"ObjectId":"a2026614-6a60-4bba-baa5-a91ff667824b|27","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"1",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Calibri",469777843,"Calibri",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri,Arial",268442635,"24",469775450,"FDAbstract",201340122,"2",134234082,"true",134233614,"true",469778129,"FDAbstract",335572020,"1",134224901,"true",335559685,"1843",469778324,"Normal"]}">This paper explores the extent to which Transnational Education (TNE) both deconstructs and reconstructs EAP thinking and practices. In our conference symposium, we used the acronym RANT to discuss our TNE challenges across four interrelated themes: Reconstructing Identity; Assessment; (K)Nowledge sharing and Transitions. Writing the paper gave us scope for reflection and space to consider the positive aspects of TNE as well as the cyclical nature of ranting. As a result, our RANT developed a more measured, reflective tone, which led to a revised version: Reflect, Assess, Negotiate, and Transform. The paper comprises 5 vignettes exploring challenges affecting EAP teacher identity, assessment, knowledge sharing, power relations, and equity within our various TNE and EMI contexts.
Copyright (c) 2025 Stella Bunnag, Sofia Di Gallorardo, Jennifer MacDougall, Dr Liz Wilding, Samantha Wilson (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The flavour of communication is a reflective narrative that recounts a journey of discovery using adapted CEFR (2020) mediation skills to develop more effective communication skills for a university pluricultural cohort of healthcare students. In mediation, language is conceptualised as more than a linguistic construct, as the skills focus primarily on the needs of the other person in the interaction. Is my message clear, am I intelligible? Can using soft skills such as respect and empathy render the interaction more successful, particularly if the other person should be from a different culture. The CEFR (2020) mediation skills tend to reflect various sociocultural and interactional competence theories (Vygotsky, 1978; Hymes, 1972; Canale & Swain, 1980; Kramsch, 1986) where the emphasis is getting communication right in the context. In CEFR (2020) mediation, with its unique and useful interplay of micro skills, all forms of communication are activated to facilitate understanding (Piccardo, 2020), as can and should happen in real-life. Mediation skills are transferrable academically and professionally. They can be used for a range of communicative acts and can make us more aware of the complex nature of language, which includes collective, cognitive and social functions (Piccardo et al., 2019).
Copyright (c) 2025 Margaret Russell (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
FROM LANGUAGE TO SKILLS DEVELOPMENT: DECONSTRUCTING EAP IN A TRANSNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW12428756 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="FDBody" data-ccp-parastyle-defn="{"ObjectId":"bcc9b429-a646-4c37-aefb-5b5eeafb9836|31","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"1",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Calibri",469777843,"Calibri",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri,Arial",268442635,"24",469775450,"FDBody",201340122,"2",134234082,"true",134233614,"true",469778129,"FDBody",335572020,"1",335559685,"1843",469778324,"Normal"]}">The write-up reflects on the practice observed in the EAP module of one of the transnational higher education institutions in Tashkent (Uzbekistan). Initially, the EAP module aimed to develop the learners' language proficiency further; however, at the request and suggestions of the subject lecturers and different stakeholders, graduate attributes were enhanced in the module learning outcomes. Consequently, the focus and assessment tasks shifted from implementing the Study Skills, Academic Socialisation and to Academic Literacies models (Lea & Street, 2006). If, in the past, the EAP lessons targeted teaching grammar, vocabulary, and the development of language skills needed for academia, at present, they address teaching language skills and developing soft, academic, and research skills.
Copyright (c) 2025 Saida Radjabzade, Liliya Makovskaya, Saida Akbarova (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
DECONSTRUCTING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS PROVISION: THE NORMATIVE AND THE TRANSFORMATIVE
<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW60861273 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="FDKeywords" data-ccp-parastyle-defn="{"ObjectId":"5acd3735-95a9-4226-8b7f-7c50fec25a58|92","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"1",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Calibri",469777843,"Calibri",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri,Arial",268442635,"24",469775450,"FDKeywords",201340122,"2",134234082,"true",134233614,"true",469778129,"FDKeywords",335572020,"1",335559685,"1843",335559739,"0",469789806,"single",335572079,"6",335572080,"1",335572081,"4278190080",469778324,"Normal"]}">Critical thinking skills are at the core of Higher Education and EAP practice; however, there is little consensus in defining the term and its elusive nature. We approached this landscape from a social-constructivist perspective aiming at deconstructing views and practices as well as generating ideas and alternative avenues for research and practice. We conducted a small-scale survey on how EAP practitioners view the relevant provision at their institutions, how they think teaching critical thinking skills can be more focused and effective, and how they view their role in this transition. We used this data as a springboard for our workshop at BALEAP 2023 Conference to initiate a cycle of de- and re-construction of EAP practice. This reflective report adopts Kolb’s cycle of reflective practice to analyse the outcomes of this process. Our results indicate that the emerging themes link under two larger concepts: instructional approaches and acknowledging cultural diversity. We identified a positive move towards more holistic, post-method instructional approaches to meet learners’ needs without losing sight of active student engagement. The results also highlight that diverse views and perceptions of CT skills due to cultural and educational differences were acknowledged and deficit models and/or stereotyping were rejected and identified as main challenges EAP tutors face in their practice.
Copyright (c) 2025 Catherine Mitsaki, Qian Zhang (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
DECONSTRUCTING STUDENT NEEDS IN EAP FOR STEM: INSIGHTS FROM BALEAP 2023 SYMPOSIUM
The BALEAP STEM SIG 2023 Symposium on 'Deconstructing student needs in EAP for STEM' provided insights into the unique challenges and strategies for teaching English for Academic Purposes (EAP) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Key presentations included Natasha Rust's emphasis on integrating register, genre, and discourse analysis into EAP for science courses, Sanchia Rodrigues's exploration of mathematical proficiency and discourse in EAP for maths, and Aaron Woodcock and Lori-Ann Milln's strategies for creating sustainable English for Specific Academic Purposes (ESAP) curricula focusing on vocabulary, speaking, mediation skills, and reflection. Audience discussions highlighted the need for flexible teaching approaches to cater to diverse STEM student groups and the importance of embedding EAP within the broader academic framework. The symposium underscored the collaborative nature of developing effective EAP programs that address both language and subject-specific needs, ensuring the preparation of students for academic success in their respective STEM fields. This interactive infographic and symposium write-up aims to summarise the presentations and discussion at the symposium, to foster ongoing discussions and developments in EAP for STEM education.
Copyright (c) 2025 Lori-Ann Milln, Sanchia Rodrigues, Natasha Rust, Aaron Woodcock (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
BRIDGING THE GAP: FOSTERING SOCIAL JUSTICE THROUGH INCLUSIVE RESEARCH SPACES
This paper discusses a project aimed at integrating social justice into an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course. Initially conceived as an in-house initiative, the project evolved into a research grant proposal, ultimately enabling a group of hourly-paid pre-sessional teachers to transition from passive recipients of course materials to active participants in the creation and evaluation of course content. The authors emphasise the importance of the teaching-research nexus, as highlighted by McKinley (2019), advocating for practice-based research that reflects real classroom contexts rather than idealised studies. Throughout the project, the teachers gained confidence and developed a stronger connection to mainstream academia, leading to significant professional growth, including one participant securing a permanent university position. The project not only addressed issues of equality, diversity, and inclusivity but also showcased the transformative impact of collaborative research on educators' careers and their engagement with the academic community.
Copyright (c) 2025 Katherine Mansfield, Paul Breen (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
CREATIVE TRIOETHNOGRAPHY AS A SITE OF RESISTANCE AND GROWTH: EXPLORING THE POWER OF RHIZOMATIC ANALYSIS AND BLACKOUT POETRY IN COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH
In this reflective exploration, we navigate trioethnographic methodology employed to investigate our evolving professional identities and the concept of social justice in English for Academic Purposes (EAP). Our journey, sparked by collaborative writing of a book chapter, emphasized creativity, dialogue, and an ethic of care, resonating deeply with our roles within the EAP for Social Justice Special Interest Group (SIG). We explore the intersections of reflection, trioethnography, and rhizomatic analysis, revealing how these approaches facilitated a profound understanding of our experiences and identities. Blackout poetry emerged as a transformative tool, allowing for alternative interpretations and deeper engagement with our data. Our methodology challenged conventional academic norms, embracing non-linear, interdisciplinary approaches that celebrate multiplicity and inclusivity. Through our research, we address the tensions between traditional academic writing and innovative, transformative narrative styles. The reflective process underscored the significance of trust, vulnerability, and ethical care in collaborative research. Ultimately, our work culminates in a manifesto advocating for creative knowledge-making and collaboration in EAP, urging EAP practitioners and other educators to embrace unconventional narratives and foster inclusive, empathetic learning environments.
Copyright (c) 2025 Dr Tomasz John, Lorraine Mighty, Iwona Winiarska-Pringle (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW82940916 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="FDKeywords" data-ccp-parastyle-defn="{"ObjectId":"6aa8b177-f4ab-5a7f-bc16-e423c988a9db|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"1",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Calibri",469777843,"Calibri",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri,Arial",268442635,"24",469775450,"FDKeywords",201340122,"2",134234082,"true",134233614,"true",469778129,"FDKeywords",335572020,"1",335559685,"1843",335559739,"0",469789806,"single",335572079,"6",335572080,"1",335572081,"4278190080",469778324,"Normal"]}">‘Can we talk about racism in EAP?’ reflects on the Community Session of the same name at the BALEAP 2023 Biennial Conference. Using JPB Gerald’s talk ‘Bad at English’ (2021) as a stimulus, the session invited discussion on the challenges and benefits of integrating anti-racist pedagogy into EAP curricula. Questions explored included the extent to which ideas around linguistic deficit are linked to racism, the potentially compromised role of EAP practitioners when adopting a raciolinguistic perspective, and to extent to which raciolinguistic theories developed in a US context are more broadly applicable. Reflections from the session reiterated the importance of addressing coloniality and racism in EAP and provided powerful evidence of the session’s impact. However, the discomfort and resistance some educators expressed when these issues were raised highlight that much work remains to be done. This write-up contends that EAP and anglophone academia are rooted in the legacies of British and US imperialism and White supremacy, which continue to shape discriminatory policies and practices in language education and perpetuate the dominance of raciolinguistic ideologies such as native-speakerism and monolingualism. It concludes by advocating for EAP educators to embrace the political nature of language education and adopt a raciolinguistic perspective to challenge colonial legacies and work towards dismantling systemic racial and linguistic inequities in EAP and beyond.
Copyright (c) 2025 William Hardman (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
KEEPING THE WHEEL TURNING: AN ONGOING CRITICAL REFLECTION ON THE SUMMER PRE-SESSIONAL
<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW153335213 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="FDKeywords" data-ccp-parastyle-defn="{"ObjectId":"8bbd68cb-645c-46a8-baf8-00c602d665bf|27","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"1",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Calibri",469777843,"Calibri",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri,Arial",268442635,"24",469775450,"FDKeywords",201340122,"2",134234082,"true",134233614,"true",469778129,"FDKeywords",335572020,"1",335559685,"1843",335559739,"0",469789806,"single",335572079,"6",335572080,"1",335572081,"4278190080",469778324,"Normal"]}">The Summer Pre-sessional (SPS) can be a difficult place to operate. Intensive working environments; tight turnarounds; unpaid overtime - these realities are revealed in the casual language of recovery that the EAP community instinctively reaches for when describing our signature summer programmes and which provided the initial inspiration for a talk at the 2023 BALEAP Conference: a critical reflection on the SPS. This paper offers an extended and ongoing reflection, incorporating the essential content of that original paper as well as the wider conference tone where uncertainty over the longer-term health of the SPS was evident. It is hoped that, with reflective distance and modest adjustments, some sense of a more hopeful future for the Pre-sessional may emerge, one that recentres community and exercises some quiet resistance to prevailing metrics of success.
Copyright (c) 2025 Adam Donnelly (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
CHALLENGING 'ACCEPTABLE READING STRATEGIES': REFRAMING MULTIMODAL AFFORDANCES FOR ACADEMIC READING IN EAP
This paper deconstructs EAP's preoccupation with reducing academic reading to skills and strategies, arguing that Academic Reading is social interaction. The purpose of this research was to uncover ways in which conceptually complex academic reading can be approached more meaningfully as part of ESAP (English for Specific Academic Purposes) programmes in our digital, hybrid and blended learning environments, by both practitioners and students. Some notions of what are often referred to as ‘academic reading skills’ in EAP are challenged (e.g. Grabe & Stoller, 2019; Newton et al. 2018). Regarding these academic reading skills and strategies, the primary objective seems to be the understanding or navigating of a text as an object or artefact, as opposed to reading as an interaction with a text, where the reader constructs meaning through a combination of resources (Bull & Anstey, 2019). In line with the latter perspective on reading as a social interaction, findings from a project undertaken in 2021 are reported, along with more recent and interrelated findings from a scholarship project with an International Foundation Year programme, exploring how EAP practitioners can help students uncover tacit knowledge when interpreting and interacting with new ideas and concepts in their disciplinary reading. These studies involved qualitative analysis of questionnaires and follow up semi-structured interview responses from some students and their EAP tutors. In brief, to access conceptual knowledge, students must combine multimodal literacy with other language-related competencies, such as grammatical and discourse competence (Kress, 2003). This ‘semiotic mediation’ (Coffin & Donohue, 2014 p. 24) is a crucial aspect of academic disciplinary reading and implications include considerations of ways we can potentially draw more meaningfully on affordances provided by complementary modes for this reading both inside the classroom and as a guide for students’ independent study. <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW86615268 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="FDAbstract" data-ccp-parastyle-defn="{"ObjectId":"789d91c8-ae7b-4143-9f95-e43007878a02|137","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"1",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Calibri",469777843,"Calibri",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri",268442635,"24",469775450,"FDAbstract",201340122,"2",134234082,"true",134233614,"true",469778129,"FDAbstract",335572020,"1",134224901,"true",335559685,"1843",469778324,"Normal"]}">By recognising the linguistic repertoire as one of many semiotic resources available for meaning making, suggestions are made for approaching disciplinary reading for our current and future teaching and learning spaces.
Copyright (c) 2025 Jody Bradford (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
READING GROUPS AS SPACES OF LEARNING AND RESISTANCE: CARE EMOTIONS AND FEMINISM IN EAP
Care, emotions and feminism are critical concepts in the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) landscape. However, to date they have existed largely on the periphery, seldom given equal standing alongside more traditional EAP areas of focus. Recognizing the need for change, this article is the result of a dialogic inquiry of four female academics from different UK Higher education institutions who met via a conference reading group foregrounding these topics at the 2023 BALEAP conference. Our investigation explored the role of reading groups in our professional practice and development. In particular, their potential as ‘counter-sites’ (Foucault, 1986) or spaces of radical possibility for self-directed learning, community building and resistance to increasing encroachment on academic autonomy and the commercialisation of academic labour. Underpinning our reflections and dialogues were three pivotal texts selected for this conference reading session. These explored care as a central academic value (Tuck, 2018), emotions as activism (Benesch, 2020), and the ‘disruptive potential’ of feminism (Cerdá, 2020: 216). As discussion lies at the heart of any reading group, we adopted a methodology which centres dialogue and polyvocality, allowing for the researchers’ individual voices to be heard and seen: duoethnography (Sawyer & Norris, 2013). Accordingly, we present our inquiry as duoethnographers often do (e.g., Lowe and Lawrence, 2020), via scripted dialogues. The analysis is organised into four thematic sections, positioned as ‘stepping stones’: socialisation into EAP, developing as an EAP practitioner, gendered experiences: tensions and power struggles, and community, belonging and finding a home. Each section begins with a brief introduction and concludes with a reflective summary to guide the reader. The dialogues, however, are the core elements of the write-up, designed to engage the reader in an ongoing conversation, prompting reflection on personal experiences and understandings. We invite you, the reader, to join this conversation. Reflecting on and sharing your own insights will bring discussions around care, emotions and feminism to the fore. We believe this meaningful development and expansion of core EAP discourses will enrich our professional and academic community for all.
Copyright (c) 2025 Iwona Winiarska-Pringle, Christine Muir, Kashmir Kaur, Lucy Watson (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW209064037 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="FDBody" data-ccp-parastyle-defn="{"ObjectId":"24541b16-5463-4017-a3a7-ceb7bc4be4cb|64","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"1",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"Calibri",469777843,"Calibri",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri",268442635,"24",469775450,"FDBody",201340122,"2",134234082,"true",134233614,"true",469778129,"FDBody",335572020,"1",335559685,"1843",469778324,"Normal"]}">In my plenary talk at the 2023 BALEAP Conference, I invoked a number of ghosts who continue to cast long shadows over contemporary critical theory. The first of these was Walter Benjamin, the German-Jewish essayist and cultural critic, famous for the unfinished Arcades project, which was an attempt to uncover the “messianic” elements which lay buried among the cultural objects and artefacts of the nineteenth century. The second was Jacques Derrida, the French Algerian-born philosopher and founder of “Deconstruction”, our conference theme. Like Benjamin, Derrida calls for radical change, for social justice – for what he calls a “messianic without messianism” (1994, p. 74), meaning a complete openness to the future, to the radically different and unanticipated “other” (1994, p. 112). This is accomplished through a process of endless deconstruction – an endless critique of society, culture, language, politics.
Copyright (c) 2025 Guy McElveny (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0