ESP Theory and Methodology in Italian Higher Education: Identifying a Research Narrative

The particular features and requirements which characterize the teaching of English in Italian contexts of higher education, such as the large numbers of students and the institutional expectations and requirements, have given rise to a distinct approach to ESP which is clearly discernible in the ‘non-arts’ university faculties. Drawing on the wide-ranging work which has been carried out in Italy in recent years, the paper outlines the developments which have taken place in ESP in Italy since the late eighties/early nineties, highlighting the theoretical and methodological developments. This overview focuses on key areas such as the methodology of reading for academic purposes, but also on the formative value of the discipline, the exploration of the nature of domain-specific discourse, and the typology of the student population achieving academic literacy. It also touches on the groundbreaking research being carried out in Italy in the various domains of ESP: research that is at the cutting edge internationally.