Bridging Academic and Workplace English in India: EAP-EOP Transition Challenges and a Culturally Responsive Curriculum Framework

Abstract

The transition from English for Academic Purposes (EAP) to English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) requires learners to adapt academic language knowledge to workplace genres, registers, relationships, and intercultural expectations. This study investigates the transitional competence gap among Indian learners and proposes a culturally responsive curriculum framework. Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, data were collected from 200 learners across four Indian regions through structured questionnaires, open-ended responses, and eight semi-structured interviews. Quantitative analysis compared difficulties involving idiomatic expressions, formal writing, professional register, intercultural competence, and overall EAP–EOP transition. Qualitative analysis examined register discontinuity, pragmatic challenges, rhetorical mismatch, and the absence of structured transitional support. Results showed that EAP learners experienced greater difficulty with idiomatic expressions and formal writing, whereas EOP learners reported higher difficulty with professional register and intercultural competence. Both groups perceived the transition as demanding, confirming that academic proficiency does not automatically transfer to workplace performance. The qualitative findings further revealed difficulties in adapting tone, condensing academic information, communicating across hierarchies, and managing culturally different expectations. The study proposes a three-stage framework comprising EAP foundations, transitional competence training, and occupation-specific EOP preparation, with emphasis on genre transfer, register flexibility, pragmatic instruction, intercultural simulation, and performance-based assessment for learners.