The evolution of English language teaching (ELT) in the era of globalisation is leading to some interesting trends. One of these trends is the localised English that is developing. Kachru (1996) recognised how this localisation may have begun: Inner Circle (native English-speaking countries); Outer Circle (countries with colonial relationships such as India); and the Expanding Circle (countries with no direct relationship to English-speaking countries), and as such, English language requirements may be of significant interest because of their diversity and development. In the Japanese English Language Teaching (ELT) context a recent government initiative administered through the Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT) to introduce an extra 300,000 international students into the Japanese university system by 2020 will present certain challenges to ELT in Japan. The response will require, to some degree, a dynamic and creative teaching approach that broadens understanding of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) methodology from its Inner Circle-based origins. However, very little attention has been paid to understanding and developing academic ELT programmes that are context-specific and not focused primarily on pre-entry level English requirements for Inner Circle academia. This requires a particular focus on learning goals and outcomes specific to learning contexts. This small-scale research focus and thepreliminary results suggest that gaining an understanding and awareness of the learning context at the localised level could support broader educational policies. This discussion is also relevant to other educational contexts and not only language teaching.