English for Vocational Purposes
provides a linguistic description of English in the context of the trades and investigates how this specialist language is used in real-world contexts. As the demand for English-speaking workers in the trades grows internationally, a major gap in the research on language in the trades is evident. Based on courses in construction and engineering at a polytechnic in New Zealand, this book offers an empirical response to this gap in research. Features of this book include:
new research on linguistic features of written and spoken texts in trades education, with a special focus on discourse, visual elements of written texts and vocabulary;
real-life examples of the language in context, along with implications for teaching and learning and a chapter devoted to putting research findings into practice;
qualitative and quantitative data to support examples and shed light on the most complex aspects of English as a trades language;
supplementary material online which includes technical word lists in areas of carpentry, plumbing, automotive technology and fabrication (welding).
Paving the way for a new research agenda in the field of ESP,
is key reading for advanced students, researchers and practitioners in the areas of ESP, trades education and vocational education.