Book excerpt: English for Vocational Purposes provides a linguistic description of English in the context of the trades and investigates how this specialist language is used in real-world contexts. As the demand for English-speaking workers in the trades grows internationally, a major gap in the research on language in the trades is evident. Based on courses in construction and engineering at a polytechnic in New Zealand, this book offers an empirical response to this gap in research. Features of this book include: new research on linguistic features of written and spoken texts in trades education, with a special focus on discourse, visual elements of written texts and vocabulary; real-life examples of the language in context, along with implications for teaching and learning and a chapter devoted to putting research findings into practice; qualitative and quantitative data to support examples and shed light on the most complex aspects of English as a trades language; supplementary material online which includes technical word lists in areas of carpentry, plumbing, automotive technology and fabrication (welding). Paving the way for a new research agenda in the field of ESP, English for Vocational Purposes is key reading for advanced students, researchers and practitioners in the areas of ESP, trades education and vocational education.