Reshaping English for Professional Academic Purposes in Engineering Education - Insights from Digital Multimodal Composing and Hybrid Genres

This paper examines how digital transformation has reshaped English for Professional Academic Purposes (EPAP) in engineering education through two key developments: digital multimodal composing (DMC) and hybrid genres. Drawing on recent research in applied linguistics and engineering education, I analyze how these developments have influenced professional communication practices and their implications for EPAP instruction. The paper makes three main contributions: (a) it demonstrates how DMC enhances language learning by providing authentic contexts for practicing professional communication while developing genre awareness; (b) it reveals how genre hybridization in digital environments has created new forms of professional discourse that challenge traditional genre boundaries; (c) it proposes a framework for integrating these insights into EPAP course design, emphasizing transferable skills that prepare engineering students for both academic and professional communication. An analysis of assessment practices research for multimodal tasks shows that traditional evaluation criteria can be effectively adapted for digital genres, making implementation feasible within existing educational structures. The paper concludes that EPAP instruction must evolve to reflect the fluid, multimodal nature of contemporary professional communication while maintaining focus on core academic literacy development. These findings have significant implications for engineering education, suggesting ways to bridge the gap between academic instruction and professional practice through technology-enhanced language learning.