The Academic Word List (AWL) is now widely used in English for academic purposes (EAP) classrooms in many countries, in a wide range of materials, in vocabulary tests, and as a major resource for researchers. In this article the author reflects on the impact of the AWL by looking at commonly asked questions about the list: What is the AWL? Is the AWL useful/ adequate for a range of learners' needs? How can teachers help students learn academic vocabulary? What materials using the AWL are available? And finally, When is AWL going to be updated? (Contains 1 table.)