Demystifying institutional practices: critical pragmatism and the teaching of academic writing

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Three approaches to the teaching of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) are identified, the Critical approach, the Pragmatic approach, and the Critical Pragmatic approach. Critical EAP is appealing pedagogically because of its restive questioning of discourse norms, although it can seem reactionary at times. By focusing on the acquisition of the same dominant norms, Pragmatic EAP has a clear goal, but it often fails to acknowledge difference in community practices. Critical Pragmatism fuses Critical EAP's focus on difference in the academy with Pragmatic EAP's focus on access to the academy. The Critical Pragmatic approach is illustrated by activities for postgraduate and research students which centre on the use of personal pronouns and possessive adjectives.