Information Technology in Languages for Specific Purposes

Work in the field of Languages for Specific Purposes (LSP) has also been transformed by technology. This volume?offers an overview of a variety of applications of IT in the field of LSP. It is addressed to a wide audience that includes LSP teachers and researchers, although the contents may also be relevant to applied linguists working in other fields. This book contains research studies as well as educational experiences and proposals, presented from different perspectives and backgrounds (both geographical and cultural), all of which are theoretically grounded and with a clear and sound rationale.?Readers will find a variety of educational projects and research studies situated in specific educational contexts and in particular geographical locations. Although not intended for generalization, we believe they are valuable technology-based educational solutions that can offer new insight and reflections that may help readers create their own tools and carry out further research. The chapters cover the main areas of research and practice in the field.

The editors of the volume have ample experience teaching LSP at Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya. They have been involved in materials writing, in educational projects and in research related to LSP and, more specifically, to the impact of IT on LSP. English for Academic Purposes: Learning English through the Web (2001) and A Reading Course for Computing (2001) are among the most recent textbooks developed by the authors of the volume proposed here. The authors are currently developing an IT-based project funded by Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (2000), which consists in creating a virtual environment with learning resources for technical students of English. They received an award for an innovative teaching experience which involves the use of IT in LSP in 2001. In addition, the authors have also published several articles directly related to the scope of the volume.