Role of Speaking in Academic Language

Academic language is defined as a language genre or variety used for communication within an academic context. Often the term entails the use of English as an international language (EIL) as a medium for academic communication. Globalization and the increase of English-medium education throughout the world have contributed to the ever-growing challenge of communicating orally in English for academic purposes (EAP). Although academic writing is often the primary focus of EAP, in the 1990s second language acquisition (SLA) researchers began to pay more attention to speaking in EAP. This entry considers the challenges international scholars face and the empirical research on discourse functions these scholars need in order to succeed, along with pedagogical approaches EAP instructors use to teach spoken academic discourse.