Preparing Diverse Learners for University: A Strategy for Teaching EAP Students

Abstract

With a burgeoning international student population, most universities around the world offer English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses. Because classes are so diverse, it is challenging to meet the specific needs of EAP students. Keeping this status quo as a departure point, the authors discuss a five-prong strategy for teaching EAP, which involves academic culture acclimatization, student voice, teachable moments, reflection, and autonomy. They discuss this teaching strategy with specific examples, arguing that it helps provide a common reference point that all EAP instructors can use as heuristics, regardless of the context of their teaching. In addition, it promotes studentcenteredness in the EAP classroom and encourages students to become more involved in the learning process.

Revising English Language Course Curriculum Among Graduate Students: An EAP Needs Analysis Study

“…The instructors talked more about the textbook, the class time, and the use of multi-media resources. It is not uncommon that teachers and students do perceive things differently (e.g., Bernaus & Gardner, 2008; Bhowmik & Kim, 2018; Luo, 2014; Schulz, 2001). When teachers’ teaching behavior do not meet students’ expectations, learner motivation and teachers’ credibility might be diminished.…”

What do we know about academic culture? A review of the concept in the field of higher education studies

“…Within this framework, particular attention has been given to how the traditional academic culture starts from assumptions that harm the possibilities of integration of students coming from low-income families, mainly because such culture prioritizes that knowledge that is closer to the habitus of the upper classes, an aspect reported in Australia (HABEL; WHITMAN, 2016;HAGGIS, 2003;MCKAY;DEVLIN, 2014), England (READ;ARCHER;LEATHWOOD, 2003) and the United States (SOLEM; SCHLEMPER, 2009). There are researches in a similar direction suggesting how the academic culture of higher education institutions' programs should become more responsive to the needs of new students (BHOWMIK; KIM, 2018;COTTER;CLUKEY, 2019;ROXÅ;MÅRTENSSON;ALVETEG, 2011;SHACHAM;OD-COHEN, 2009), especially women (READ; KEHM, 2016;XU, 2008) and students from ethnic minority groups (GRANT, 2010). The process of disciplinary acculturation (MENDOZA, 2008) of doctoral students in the university systems of Canada (SKAKNI, 2018), Spain (JIMÉNEZ MORA; MORENO BAYARDO; ORTIZ LEFORT, 2011), Switzerland (FALK et al, 2019 and Iran (HEMMATI; MAHDIE, 2020), is also considered here.…”

“…Mckay and Devlin (2014);Haggis (2003);Habel and Whitman (2016);Read;Archer;Leathwood (2003);Solem and Schlemper (2009);Shacham and Od-cohen (2009);Bhowmik and Kim (2018); Roxå; Mårtensson; Alveteg (2011); Cotter and Clukey (2019); Xu (2008); Read and Kehm (2016); Grant (2010); Skakni (2018); Jiménez Mora; Moreno Bayardo; Ortiz Lefort (2011); Falk et al (2019); Hemmati and Mahdie (2020); Mendoza (2008); Torres-Olave (2011); Castro Daza; Niño Gutiérrez (2014); Rodríguez et al (2013); Passos (2015); Böhm-Carrer and Lucero (2018); Fernándezand Wainerman, (2015) …”

Nexus Analysis as an Approach to Navigate Change

“…The ELPA professional development literature does provides some useful tools for longterm strategic planning through general business leadership discourses, but rarely addresses the lived experiences of ELPAs who must move between multiple roles on a given day while responding to immediate and significant world events and policies that impact operations. Due to the variety and types of ELSPs, ELPAs understand that they may need to modify their management approach based on the audience an ELSP serves (e.g., immigrants, professionals, or pre-college or matriculated international students); the leadership skill set becomes even more complex when the school itself is a mix of audiences and must provide both supportive (ELSP course in parallel with core courses) and intensive (only ELSP courses) programs (Bhowmik & Kim, 2018). In addition to these complexities, rarely does that literature address the cultural, racial, or economic experiences of the students and staff that could impact the program.…”

“…Financial factors may also influence an ELPA's experience as the language program may be entirely reliant on student tuition; thus, making the program's success vulnerable to the recent geopolitical forces and the pandemic. Beyond the students served and financial structure, an ELPA's management experience can be dictated by the position of the program within its given institution as an ELSP may exist as part of an academic department like an applied linguistics department, or situated in a student service office, writing program, or as a stand-alone unit (Bhowmik & Kim, 2018;Eaton, 2017). This variety has created a very unique community of practice for ELSPs (Lave & Wenger, 1991), but also has led to uneven understandings of what ELSPs do (Kaplan, 2003;Pennington & Hoekje, 2010) and where they belong.…”