English for Vocational Purposes

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, English for Vocational Purposes is key reading for advanced students, researchers and practitioners in the areas of ESP, trades education and vocational education.

Averil Coxhead is an Associate Professor at the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Jean Parkinson is a Senior Lecturer at the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. James Mackay is a Principal Academic Staff member at the School of Engineering, Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec), New Zealand. Emma McLaughlin is a Learning Advisor at Te Wananga o Aotearoa, Porirua campus, New Zealand.

List of Figures; List of Tables; List of Extracts; Acknowledgements; Chapter 1: Language in trades education and English for specific purposes; Chapter 2: The Language in the Trades Education project: Methodology; Chapter 3: Tutoring in trades education: Instruction and engagement in automotive technology classroom discourse; Chapter 4: Writing in trades education: The case of the builder's diary; Chapter 5: A descriptive analysis of the use of visual elements in trades education texts; Chapter 6: Technical vocabulary in trades education; Chapter 7: Listening and speaking in trades education; Chapter 8: Reading in trades education; Chapter 9: Putting research into practice in trades education; Chapter 10: Reflections, implications, and directions in trades education research; Appendix 1; References; Index