Embedding writing development in the discipline of Law: how far have we come?

Following Swales' seminal work on genre (1990), many studies of student academic discourse, including my analysis of undergraduate writing in Law (1997), concluded that academic language proficiency is best developed in a disciplinary context. Early genre-based English for Specific Purposes (Genre/ESP) courses were designed chiefly for international students with English as an Additional Language (EAL), and while embedded language programs are now commonplace in Australian universities, curriculum development has been slow. With widening student participation, language support is now considered necessary for all students, with the result that Genre/ESP language programs for EAL students are merging with academic literacy programs for native English-speaking students. This paper surveys recent literature on embedded writing development programs in Australian university Law courses. It investigates the models of support currently offered and their debt to Genre/ESP pedagogy, claiming that Genre/ESP has an important contribution to make to academic literacy development for all students.