English medium instruction, EAP/ESP: Exploring overlap and divergences in research aims

Abstract

English medium instruction (EMI) is now a well-established field of education research, yet its distinction from English for academic purposes (EAP) and from English for specific purposes (ESP) remains a subject of debate. This scoping review investigates the overlap and divergences between these fields. As well as using raw data from a previous systematic review of EMI, we identified research questions published in five selected journals between 2017 and 2022: Journal of English for Academic Purposes, English for Specific Purposes, International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, Language and Education, and Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development in order to identify the convergence and divergence in academic interest areas. We additionally examined research settings and participants across these studies. Our findings revealed a spectrum of research questions with largely distinct areas of research interest and considerable differences in research settings. This study contributes to the academic discussion by offering a detailed picture of the current research landscape, and suggests not only a need for collaboration between EMI, and EAP/ESP researchers but also a value in maintaining some distinction between the two fields.