ABSTRACT
The field of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has gained considerable attention, mainly due to the growing importance of English teaching and the need for preparing international professionals. The primary academic emphasis of this field is largely centered on the study of English for Academic Purposes (EAP). It has become increasingly important for China to provide EAP education to its vast population of college students, who represent a significant proportion of global tertiary-level English learners. By doing so, they can improve their academic literacy and participate more effectively in international academic communication. In 2016, China's College English Test Examination Board issued the National College English Test Syllabus which emphasized the importance of academic English literacy in the test design. This syllabus was released during a contentious debate among Chinese academics about the role of EAP in college English teaching and testing. Despite this heated discussion, there are currently few studies that have analyzed the linguistic nature of academic English tests in a quantitative manner. This paper calculates the academic word coverage of the reading passages in two crucial English proficiency tests designed for college students in China, the College English Test (CET) and the Test of English for Academic Purposes (TEAP). It is found that the academic word coverage of CET is increasing from the year 2013 to 2021 and that the academic word coverage of TEAP is slightly higher than that of CET. In this sense, these English tests can meet the requirements for measuring Chinese college students' academic literacy. It is also found that there is a positive correlation between academic word coverage and language difficulty as is indicated by Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. These findings provide an empirical reference for the study of academic English tests in China, and other parts of the world, and contribute to EAP teaching and testing reform for the development of students' academic literacy.
ABSTRACT
It is well-established that English for academic purposes (EAP) programmes are critical for academic success in English-medium universities. Nonetheless, there is significantly less research on how EAP programmes impact multilingual domestic university students, compared to that of international students who speak English as a foreign language. While an earlier study on a university in Singapore found that an EAP programme had a statistically significant and positive intervention effect on students' grade point average of the first semester upon matriculation, this study sought to investigate the perceptions of students from the same university, as this would contribute to how EAP programmes could be refined to better support learning. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 50 students invited based on a maximum variation strategy. Based on the thematic analyses undertaken, four themes (i.e., programme delivery, linguistic improvement, learning transfer and change in self-efficacy) were identified and discussed. These themes contributed to the formulation of SILVER, an innovative framework of components for consideration in EAP course design and delivery within higher education.
ABSTRACT
The present study explored the types of errors found in Google Translate (GT) Chinese-to-English translations and, based on those error types, proposes strategies for optimizing the performance of GT. Seven abstracts written in both Chinese and English from seven articles published in English Teaching and Learning in 2017 were selected as the materials. The researchers compared the GT translations to the English abstracts written by the original author(s) and analyzed the problems in the translations. The problematic translations consisted of grammatical errors (35%) and lexical errors (65%). Relatedly, we propose nine specific strategies to employ when writing Chinese abstracts to be translated into English using GT. According to the strategies, we suggest that users (1) avoid native language-specific expressions, (2) maintain the use of original English terminologies in composing Chinese abstracts, and (3) enhance logical relations and expressions for the discipline-specific discourse community. Further analyses revealed that 99% of the 69 identified problems in the GT translations of the seven abstracts could be avoided by using the proposed strategies. A conceptual framework for the collaboration between GT and GT users is proposed and pedagogical implications are discussed.
ABSTRACT
Argumentative writing is the most important genre that undergraduate students need to learn to meet their academic requirements. Hence, many studies in different ESL/EFL academic contexts have explored different aspects of argumentative essay at micro text level and also wider educational, contextual and cultural levels. However, majority of these studies have focused on separate aspects of argumentative writing. Therefore, in the absence of studies which examine different variables involved in undergraduate EFL students' argumentative writing, the present study was conducted by drawing on multiple data sources: students' perceptions of the argumentative texts, writing teachers' views on argumentative writing of the students and finally analysis of the structure of the argumentative texts written by the students. For this aim, a total of 66 argumentative essays written by the undergraduate students was analyzed. In addition, a group of 66 undergraduate students majoring in English literature and 20 university writing instructors were interviewed. The findings revealed that the concept of argumentation was poorly conceived and tackled with by the learners. Teachers also counted various grounds that students faced difficulties. Moreover, the structural analysis of the students' texts showed that they had problems with developing secondary elements of argumentation. In sum, the study discusses that the failure to develop an argumentative essay by the Iranian undergraduate English majors entails several academic, contextual and pedagogical grounds. Implications for improving argumentative writing in the EAP context would be provided.
ABSTRACT
Writing and publishing biomedical research papers in English for academic purposes (EAP) has become an essential requirement for medical postgraduates in China. To face this challenge, medical postgraduates need adapt themselves to the local environment of English as a second language and the transformation from writing for examinations to writing for application. This change determines the features of biomedical research papers, including being application-oriented, using clear and concise language, organizing the discourse by specific genre rules, and assessing the quality according to the completion of communicative purposes. Based on these features, students can exploit the learning strategies of choosing a word suited for the style, structuring a sentence according to the logic, creating a paragraph of continuity and one main idea, and composing the discourse in line with the genre. These strategies may help medical postgraduates effectively improve their ability to write biomedical research papers in English.
ABSTRACT
After in-depth needs analysis, we combined our previously written textbook with digitalized platform by information technology, and proposed construction principles guided by English for academic purposes (EAP) theories. Through scientific design and ongoing modification, we finally developed an open online digital course with academic and practical properties. The course received positive feedback after release online. It may become an effective way to improve research paper writing skills for medical postgraduates and provide references for medical colleges to develop other EAP digital courses.
ABSTRACT
With globalization of biomedicine,Chinese postgraduates in medical colleges are facing increasing challenges.Writing and publishing research papers in English have become an essential requirement for their graduation and career development,but for non-native English speakers,having a good command of English for academic purposes (EAP) is of special difficulty.In China,lack of self-written textbooks is a bottleneck that restricts the teaching of EAP.Therefore,guided by EAP theories,this study carries out in-depth demand analysis for graduate students in medical colleges and universities,and designs a textbook framework with genre analysis theory.Based on self-established corpus finally completed an EAP writing textbook for postgraduates of biomedicine.This textbook and the writing and research process can provide implications for construction of EAP textbooks in other principles,thus promoting the all-round development of postgraduate education in China.
ABSTRACT
CBI (Content-based instruction) , integrating the content and language, can be used to guide teaching EAP (English for academic purposes). Main Teaching Models based on CBI (Content-based instruction) include immersion model, theme-based instruction and content for language practice. EGAP (English for general academic purposes) curriculum can be set up in medical universities in the second and third academic years, such as medical integrated course, medical listening & speaking course, medical writing course. ESAP (English for specific academic purposes) curriculum can be set up in the fourth and fifth academic years, such as clinical English,nursing English and stomato-logical English. Theme-based instruction can be applied in medical integrated course and listening&speaking course, including creating situation to lead in the theme, assigning tasks to experience the theme, setting topics to deepen the theme and giving assignment to explore the theme. Content for language practice model can be applied into medical writing course, such as teacher's demonstrating and explaining, students' absorbing and imitating and mutual evaluating. Immersion model can be used in ESAP (English for specific academic purposes), such as choosing typical cases to teach in English, teaching ward round in English, doctor-patient communication in English. Preliminary practice was carried out for one year, experimental class with theme-based instruction and content for language practice model, and control class with traditional teacher-centered teaching model. At the end of the practice, they were given the same test and questionnaire, it was found that CBI teaching models facil-itated to improve the students' English level and also enhanced their study motive and independent study ability.
ABSTRACT
The development of international academic exchanges has brought a growing de-mand for college English teaching. English for academic purposes (EAP) is playing an increasingly important role in students' study and research. In this essay, a conclusion of college English curricu-lum in the Third Military Medical University was introduced with the theoretic and practical back-ground of oral English for academic purposes (OEAP) teaching. The training strategies of OEAP abilities were discussed from multi-level teaching, personalized teaching and academic forums. The experience of OEAP training was summarized and reflected through teaching practice.
ABSTRACT
In order to explore the implement of English for academic purposes (EAP) teaching,the selective course of English for international academic conference was opened up in the Third Military Medical University.The teaching practice was enacted based on 50 selected medical undergraduates,with the feature of modularized teaching,experimental study and teaching team.Teaching outcome was assessed by means of students' record,investigation questionnaire,teaching video and teachers' journal,which indicated that the course of English for international academic conference played the positive role in promoting student's ability for EAP and the key questions included how to make it interesting while keeping it professional and the quality of teachers.
