English for Academic Purpose: A Tool for Enhancing Students’ Proficiency in English Language Skills

Abstract

As the world today has become a global village with English as its primary language, the demand for English in different spheres of life is on the increase. The communicative role that English plays as the language of globalisation has resulted to its high demand in many spheres of human endeavours. In academia, many students are grossly deficient in English. Their deficiency cuts across the four Language skills (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing). This paper examined how English for Academic purposes can be utilized to enhance the students' proficiency in English Language skills. It was based on the theory and Practice of ESP. The paper established that EAP as a branch of English for Specific Purposes caters for the needs of students based on their academic disciplines or courses of study rather than general English. As EAP is not taught based on preordained methodology, different suggestions on how EAP could be used to improve the students' proficiency in English were made.