Focusing on proposing a theoretical and conceptual framework for developing courses in the rapidly growing field of English for Academic Purposes (EAP), while acknowledging EAP to be a needs-driven learner centred activity, Ian Bruce examines approaches to theorizing, engaging with and researching academic subject communities including their written and spoken genres. He proposes principles for the organisation of goals and objectives and the selection of content of an EAP syllabus.
In the second half of the book he considers the more specific details of 'fleshing out' a syllabus into a full course with a particular focus on the types of language processing and outputs required by university courses. He also addresses the issue of the development of critical thinking and performance-based assessment within the context of an EAP course, and discusses the academic knowledge and skills of EAP teachers with reference to the recently developed
Competency Framework for Teachers of English for Academic Purposes.