Winter 2024

The world of ESL is evolving rapidly, reflecting learners’ changing needs and aspirations. This is especially true in two of the largest growth areas: young learners and English for specific purposes. English is increasingly taught as an essential skill in both areas, and one significant shift in ESL teaching within university settings is the transition from predominantly academic business English skills to a focus on employability skills. It is an approach that is having a profound impact on the teaching of academic English and what might be termed general English. Teachers of all age groups are adopting a more task-based approach that reflects the importance of teaching real-world skills in global English contexts rather than concentrating on English as used predominantly in English-speaking countries. This edition’s Focus is on employability skills (for both teachers and learners).