Academic Writing and Interdisciplinarity

This book critically explores academic interdisciplinarity, a relatively new area of student writing in our contemporary contexts, from different perspectives: approaches to ESOL/EFL/EAP, disciplinary integration, linguistic capital, pedagogical practices in applied linguistics, generically diverse assessment tasks, extra-disciplinarity, pedagogic desire, curricular issues, and socio-economic imperatives. Professor Ranamukalage Chandrasoma s work also offers a comprehensive study of how student writers grapple with interdisciplinary knowledge in the academy. Since almost every discipline has crossed its boundaries, student writing has become a more complex and intricate academic exercise as has never been before. Professor Chandrasoma emphasizes the need for knowledge for specific purposes programs peripheral to the currently used English for academic/specific purposes programs in universities in order to enculturate novice student writers into the new culture of interdisciplinary integration.. This seminal work proposes critical interdisciplinarity as a sustainable pedagogical practice to cope with a plethora of difficulties encountered by student writers at various stages of constructing their texts. The book meets a long felt need as evidenced by the paucity of literature on interdisciplinary studies in particular reference to student writing. Hence this book is an asset to language teachers, academic support advisors, curriculum developers, researchers in linguistics, and student writers. As far as academic disciplines are concerned, the book has a specific focus on English language (ESOL/EFL/EAP), applied linguistics, and education. The book will also serve as an invaluable resource for various programs where academic literacies are vital. In particular it lends itself to programs such as foundation studies, developmental education, and interdisciplinary studies both at graduate and postgraduate levels in universities and colleges.