This book proposes a new paradigm for English language teaching based on concepts from English for Specific Purposes (ESP) research and applications as well as from growing evidence relating pattern recognition to language learning ability. The contributors to the volume argue that learners should not try to become proficient all-around users of ‘idealistic native-like’ English, but instead should be realistic about what they need to acquire and how to go about achieving their specific goals.

The book discusses the present situation by describing the status quo of English language education in Japan, taking into consideration recent trends of CLIL (content and language integrated learning), EMI (English medium instruction), and TBLT (task-based language teaching) as well as the work done on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). It introduces new movements in ESP in Japan and in other Asian regions, covering topics ranging from genre analysis to corpus linguistics, and presents application examples of ESP practice in a range of educational situations in Japan from the graduate school level to elementary and middle school contexts. It also offers readers application examples of ESP practice in a range of business settings and expands the discussion to the global sphere where EAP and ESP are gaining importance as the number of ELF (English as a Lingua Franca) speakers continue to increase.

The book will be of great interest to academics, researchers, and post-graduate students working in the fields of EFL and ESL.

Hajime Terauchi is a Professor of English Language Education and President of Takachiho University, Japan. He is President of the JACET (Japan Association of College English Teachers) from 2015. He is also a recipient of the JACET Award for excellence in academic publication (2017).

Judy Noguchi is Professor Emerita of Kobe Gakuin University, where she served as the first Dean of the Faculty of Global Communication. She was Vice-President of JACET from 2015 to 2017 and President of JACET Kansai Chapter from 2010 to 2015.

Akira Tajino is Professor Emeritus at Kyoto University, and Professor and Chair of the Department of British and American Studies at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies, Japan. He is a recipient of the JACET Award for excellence in teaching (2011) and the JACET Award for excellence in academic publication (2014).