Genres Across the Disciplines

Abstract

At the end of the still seminal Episodes in ESP (1988), Swales raises some issues that are worth bearing in mind when approaching this new volume by Hilary Nesi and Sheena Gardner. Reflecting on trends in teaching and research in institutionally situated language use, Swales makes three comments which have a direct bearing on the book that is the focus of this review. These are, firstly, that it is important … to look beyond the content and its linguistic expression to institutional attitudes and expectations regarding that content: and to look for shared and conflicting expectations of the various groups that make up members of the institution. (ibid.: 211) One obvious implication of … attempts at genre analysis is that they could be equally useful for teachers and materials writers of English as a first language as for those of English as a second or foreign language. … Conversely, interesting questions now arise about the cultural specificity of genres …. (ibid.: 212) Until we can find ways of ensuring the collaboration of learners, practitioners and specialized lexicographers in the experiment and trialling of new and more efficient ways of coping with the vocabulary problem, I do not think that ESP can really be said to have come of age. (ibid.: 214)