Unveiling Genre Analysis and Genre-based Instruction in EAP

Dominant approaches to text production and consumption in an L2 have historically focused their attention on form, the writer, content, and the reader (Raimes in TESOL Q 25:407–430, 1991). Contemporary philosophies of literacy education, on the other hand, have helped us develop a more complex and socially determined understanding of reading and writing in a second/foreign language (L2). With the rise of genre-based pedagogies as a more recent method, basically, EAP learners are encouraged to immerse themselves in producing situationally appropriate texts. There are several pedagogical benefits to genre-based pedagogies that cater to the needs of both L2 learners and L2 reading and writing teachers (Worden in J Engl Acad Purp 34:12–27, 2018). Keeping all these benefits and warnings raised against potential impediments in mind, I designed this chapter to report on three main issues: (1) the role of genre in academic discourse and its implications for EAP pedagogy; (2) the use of genre-based instruction techniques in L2 writing and reading classes and (3) how understanding genre conventions can support effective communication in L2 academic writing and reading.