EAP - English for Academic Purposes - refers to the language and associated practices that people need in order to undertake study or work in English medium higher education. The objective of an EAP course, then, is to help these people learn some of the linguistic and cultural – mainly institutional and disciplinary - practices involved in studying or working through the medium of English. English for academic purposes (EAP) has emerged out of the broader field of English for specific purposes (ESP), defined by its focus on teaching English specifically to facilitate learners’ study or research through the medium of English. Initially EAP was taught for the academic success of the overseas students at universities in some Anglophone countries. Nowadays, with the internationalization of higher education, many countries where English is used as the second or a foreign language are aware of the importance of EAP and start to integrate EAP courses at their universities.
