Abstracts as authentic material for EAP classes

Authentic materials are widely used in EFL, particularly in English for Academic Purposes (EAP). EAP courses designed to prepare students for a particular discipline such as medicine or engineering, generally use authentic materials relating to those disciplines. However, in general EAP courses, course materials are often taken from non-academic sources such as newspapers and magazines. This article questions the extent to which non-academic materials can provide sound reading practice and writing models for EAP students, particularly those from non-Western backgrounds who need to learn Western academic rhetorical patterns as well as academic English. This article proposes that journal article abstracts be used to create authentic academic materials for EAP classes. Practical suggestions are made for how abstracts can be exploited. Other possibilities for using academic materials in the EAP classroom could be derived from these ideas.