In EAP teaching and institutions, in the designing and implementing of EAP courses, and in the EAP profession as a whole, a number of concerns or issues have emerged in recent years. Inevitably, these have varied from institution to institution, and from country to country. The fact that there are concerns often prompts investigations: these, in turn, can lead to research projects which, also in turn, may lead to solutions or suggestions for materials development, teaching techniques, etc.

The purpose of this chapter is to look at some of the areas of concern that exist at present, together with some that have been with EAP since its inception. This will lead in to a consideration of research methods that are appropriate for EAP. Finally, we shall note the variety of EAP areas that are currently under investigation.

Concerns

Some of the main concerns are listed below in the form of questions. No attempt is made to answer these: in some cases it will vary from place to place; in others, investigations are still under way. Many aspects are involved: finance, administration, organisation, specialist departments, materials, methodology, teaching and learning.