Teaching EAP: conceptions, pedagogies

and practices

季佩英

2014.4.19

Overview

• Part I Changes in educational institutions

• Part II Teaching EAP: conceptions, pedagogies,

and practices

• Part III Issues and challenges of teaching EAP in

China

Part I Changes in educational institutions

Braj Kachru's model of World Englishes

Two distinct roles for institutions which have English

as the medium of instruction:

• Teaching English as foreign language

• Teaching EAP

accomplish certain academic tasks using academic

skills in English

Part II Teaching EAP:

conceptions, pedagogies, and practices

• 1. Classifying EAP in English language teaching

• 2. EAP and TEAP: definitions

• 3. Nature of EAP

• 4. The what and how of EAP

1. Classifying EAP in English language teaching

Hutchinson

and Waters

(2002, P. 17)

1. Classifying EAP in English language teaching

English as foreign language

General English

English for specific

purposes

English for academic purposes

English for occupational

purposes

2. EAP and TEAP: definitions

• „English for Academic Purposes‟ seems to have been

coined by Tim Johns in 1974 and made its first

published appearance in a collection of papers edited

by Cowie and Heaton in 1977.

(Jordan, 2002)

2. EAP and TEAP: definitions

• English for Academic Purposes refers to language

research and instruction that focuses on the specific

communicative needs and practices of particular

groups in academic contexts.

(Hyland, Hamp-Lyons, 2002)

2. EAP and TEAP: definitions

• TEAP: the teaching of English with the specific aimof helping learners to study, conduct research or teachin that language

(Flowerdew and Peacock, 2001: 8).

Teaching English for Academic Purposes (EAP)focuses on „teaching English specifically to facilitatelearners‟ study or research through the medium ofEnglish‟

(Hamp-Lyons, 2011, p. 89).

2. EAP and TEAP: definitions

Teaching EAP covers all areas of academic

communicative practice such as:

• Pre-tertiary, undergraduate and postgraduate teaching

(from the design of materials to lectures and

classroom tasks).

• Classroom interactions (from teacher feedback to

tutorials and seminar discussions).

2. EAP and TEAP: definitions

• Research genres (from journal articles to conference

papers and grant proposals).

• Student writing (from essays to exam papers and

graduate theses).

• Administrative practice (from course documents to

doctoral oral defences).

3. Nature of EAP

• A sub-discipline within ESP with following features:

an eclectic and pragmatic discipline considering a

wide range of linguistic, applied linguistic and

educational topics

(Liz Hamp-Lyons, 2011)

3. Nature of EAP

• designed to meet specified needs of the learner

• related in content (i.e. in its themes and topics) to

particular disciplines, occupations and activities

• centered on the language appropriated to those

activities in syntax, lexis, discourse, semantics etc.,

and analysis of this discourse

• in contrast with “General English”

Strevens (1988)

3. Nature of EAP

• EGAP: English for general academic purposes

• ESAP: English for specific academic purposes

3. Nature of EAP

EGAP focuses on the skills, language forms andstudy activities thought to be common to alldisciplines

e.g.

• Listening to lectures.

• Participating in supervisions, seminars and tutorials.

• Reading textbooks, articles and other material.

• Writing essays, examination answers, dissertationsand reports.

Dudley-Evans and St John (1998: 41)

3. Nature of EAP

ESAP

• concerns the teaching of skills and language which

are related to the demands of a particular discipline or

department.

(Hyland, 2006)

4. The what and how of EAP

• The Early Years (1950s-1960s)

• Three Decades of Growth and Developing Tradition

(1970s, 1980s, 1990s)

• The current situation (since 2000)

4. The what and how of EAP

The early years (1950s-1960s)

• Britain began to receive increasing numbers of

international students funded by the British Council.

• Language support that was provided to

international students tended to be on an ad hoc,

part-time basis.

4. The what and how of EAP

The early years (1950s-1960s)

• Induction courses, such as short courses (e.g. four

weeks at the beginning of the students‟ studies)

were development.

• Birmingham University, Leeds University,

Manchester University, Newcastle University

4. The what and how of EAP

Three Decades of Growth and Developing Tradition

(1970s, 1980s, 1990s)

• Supporting International Students

• English as the Language of Knowledge Exchange

Supporting international students

• needs analysis

Needs analysis is fundamental to an EAP approach to

course design and teaching.

Liz Hamp-Lyons (2000)

• Various ways to collect data of students‟ needs

e.g. language tests, questionnaire surveys,

monitoring in class, self-assessment and interviews

• Materials Development

Aim: provide basic preparation for good study habits

e.g.

discipline specific materials

“study skills” materials and texts

research paper writing

Supporting international students

• Most disciplines have progressively switched from

publishing in journals in their own language to

publishing in journals in English.

• Developing programs in universities aiming at

supporting non-native academics in their efforts to

publish in international, English-medium journals

English as the Language of Knowledge Exchange

English as the Language of Knowledge Exchange

• transforming the educational experiences of students:

• Students should

→gain fluency in the conventions of English

language academic discourses to understand their

disciplines and to successfully navigate their learning.

English as the Language of Knowledge Exchange

• → Master enough English, and the right English, to

succeed in learning their subjects through the

medium of English in textbooks, lectures, study

groups, and so on, is a matter of great urgency.

English as the Language of Knowledge Exchange

• Traditional EAP teaching still pertains:

e.g. “study skills”, “academic writing for

international students”, “seminar skills”

• Designing and delivering in-programme language

support for law students, or agricultural engineers.

English as the Language of Knowledge Exchange

• EAP teachers are more qualified and more committed

than ever.

• EAP programmes and centres are firmly established

and stable, allowing curriculum and programme

development to flourish.

• EAP has received the most attention from researchers.

• More than half the articles in English for Specific

Purposes focusing on EAP, and the other journal

entirely devoted to it, the Journal of English for

Academic Purposes .

English as the Language of Knowledge Exchange

4. The what and how of EAP

The current situation (since 2000)

Pedagogical approaches to EAP:

• Watson Todd (2003): six main approaches to EAP

• Ann Evers (2007): four prevailing pedagogicalapproaches to teaching EAP

Todd (2003)

• 1. focus on inductive learning;

• 2. using process syllabuses;

• 3. promoting learner autonomy;

• 4. using authentic materials and tasks;

• 5. integrating technology in teaching;

• 6. using team teaching

They are not mutually exclusive.

Distribution of nouns, verbs, and personal

pronouns across registers

(Note: Adapted from Biber et al, 2004)

Selected features in Research articles and textbooks

(Note: Adapted from Hyland, 2008)

Rank order of citations by discipline

(Note: Rank order of citations by disciplineAdapted from Hyland, 2004)

Most frequent reporting verbs

(Note: Adapted from Hyland, 2004)

Ann Evers (2007): four prevailing pedagogical

approaches to teaching EAP

1) skills-based approach

• teaching five skills: reading, listening to monologue,

listening and speaking, speaking, and writing which

are taught in an integrated manner

• Also teaching micro-level skills: e.g. coherence and

cohesion of a text

2) Strategy-based approach

• Realizing the importance of the language learner in

the learning process

• Six strategies or techniques that good language

learners use to be successful:

(a) willingly and accurately guess,

(b) want to communicate

(c) are uninhibited about mistakes

(d) focus on both structure and meaning

(e) take advantage of all practice opportunities

(f) monitor their own speech and that of others

Rubin‟s article, The Good Language Learner (1975)

• motivation, gender, cultural background, attitudes and

beliefs, type of task, age, learning style and tolerance

of ambiguity

3) Genre-based Approach

• focusing on teaching linguistics elements that exist

within texts from a specific genre

• teaching about genres and incorporates genres into

educational programs

Four aspects:

• cultural context

• the target situation

• models of specific genres

• recurring grammatical patterns

4) Content-based Approach

• integrating content with language teaching aims

• Focusing on learners acquiring information through a

second language while developing academic

language skills

• the content reflecting the language learner‟s needs

Academic vocabulary

• variously known as sub-technical vocabulary , semi-

technical vocabulary, specialized non-technical lexis,

frame words, and academic vocabulary.

• The Academic Word List (Coxhead, 1998): a list of

570 words which is divided into ten sub-lists.

To sum up: (what to teach)

Language skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening

Knowledge of language

Culture and intercultural awareness

Researching EAP

• EAP and “Discourse Communities” (话语或语篇共同体)

• EAP and Disciplinary Variation（学科差异）

• Genre Analysis in EAP（体裁分析或语体分析）

• EAP Assessment

• Contrastive Rhetoric（对比修辞）

• “Academic Literacy”（学术素养）and/in EAP

Part III Issues and challenges of teaching EAP in China

• 语言使用的四个主要领域：

个人领域、公共领域、教育领域和职场领域

《欧洲语言共同参考框架》

CE

GE

ESPEAP

EGAP

ESAPEOP

1. EAP and GE in College English curriculum

EAP GE

2. Differences and similarities between EAP & GE

GE的学习内容不指向某个专业、某个学科、某个职业，而是涵盖一个合格世界公民应该涉及的知识范畴，其使用也没有清晰的专业和职业目标，服务的是人的普遍交际需求”，拓宽人的国际视野、增加百科知识、培养跨文化交际能力和人的综合素养（文秋芳2014）

EAP基于需求分析，有特定教学目标，能够增加专业知识、培养用英语进行学业学习、学术交流的能力和学术素养

相同点：都能提高学生应用英语的能力和思辨能力，两者的目标不能完全互相替代，两类不同的课程也不应该互相排斥（文秋芳，2014）；提高自主学习能力，

2. Differences and similarities between EAP & GE

GE包括小学、中学和大学等多个层面的英语学习（Hutchinson and Waters,2002）

EAP主要在大学层面

2. Differences and similarities between EAP & GE

3. Professional Development for EAP

GE teachers EAP teachers

4. Materials development in EAP

5. EAP Assessment

•Language ability: listening, speaking,

reading and writing

• Listening to lectures; writing

summaries, writing essay/research paper

Conclusions

• EAP might be necessarily included in College English curriculum.

• Make needs analysis (three levels).

• Goal-directed

• Take part in EAP training programs

• Materials development

ReferencesAlexander, O., Argent, S. & Spencer, J. (2008). EAP essentials: A teacher's guide to principles and practice.

Reading: Garnet

Bell, R. (1981). An introduction to applied linguistics: Approaches and methods in language

teaching. London: Batsford.

Coxhead, A. and Nation, P. (2001). The specialised vocabulary of English for

academic purposes. In J.Flowerdew & M. Peacock (Eds.), Research

perspectives on English for academic purposes (pp. 252-267). Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press.

Flowerdew, J. & Peacock, M. (2001). Research perspectives on English for Academic

Purposes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 13.

Hinkel, E. (2011). Handbook of research in second language teaching and learning:

Routledge.

Hyland, K. (2006). English for academic purposes: An advanced resource book: Routledge.

Hyland, K. & Hamp-Lyons, L. (2002). EAP: issues and directions. Journal of English for

Academic Purposes, 1, 1–12.

Paltridge, B., & Starfield, S. (2012). The Handbook of English for Specific Purposes (Vol.

123): John Wiley & Sons.

Strevens, P. (1988). ESP after twenty years: A re-appraisal. In ESP: State of the art, M.

Tickoo (Ed.), 1- 13. Singapore: SEAMEO Regional Language Center.

Todd, R.W. (2003). EAP or TEAP? Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 2 , 147–156.

文秋芳（2014）.大学英语教学中通用英语与专用英语之争：问题与对策. 外语与外语教学, 274

(1), 1-8 .

Journals

• Journal of English for Academic Purposes(Journal from Elsevier enables EAP practitioners to keep up to date)

• English for Specific Purposes (Journal from Elsevier with relevant research into the language of specific subjects)

• TESOL Quarterly (Journal of TESOL International Association)

Web-sites

• UEfAP - Using English for Academic Purposes• Academic Vocabulary - Sandra Haywood at

Nottingham• Academic Keyword List - Academic vocabulary

from UniversitéCatholique de Louvain• Academic Word List - Academic vocabulary

from Averil Coxhead in New Zealand• Compleat Lexical Tutor - A wide range of

vocabulary resources.• Academic Grammar - Academic grammar from

Hong Kong

谢 谢