English for academic purpose (EAP) is an approach to teaching English that aims at training students, usually in a higher education setting, to use the language appropriately for study. It is a common form of 'English for specific purposes' (ESP). EAP helps students improve their language skills in listening, speaking, reading, grammar, and vocabulary development. In addition, students are introduced to a new way of teaching, test taking, note taking, academic vocabulary usage, research and library skills. EAP has been shown to effectively prepare students in terms of language for undergraduate programs in college and university level.
Video English for Academic Purposes (EAP)
Definition of English for Academic Purposes
English for academic purposes (EAP) courses help students prepare for higher education in college/university level. There are two types of EAP: pre-sessional courses and in-sessional courses.
- Pre-sessional courses: In the United States, there are July-August courses, and they help the students to prepare for their college-level classes in the Fall semester.
- In-sessional courses: opposite to pre-sessional courses, these courses are taught in parallel with the student's main courses. They can be understood as language support classes which help students improve their language skills for the classes that they are attending.
During this course, students are given resources to improve their skills in formal and informal communication, new vocabulary, writing skills, reading skills, critical thinking, oral presentation skills, etc. In addition, EAP helps international students get acquainted with the new learning environment and educational system.
Maps English for Academic Purposes (EAP)
Study Skills
Academic Writing Classes
The writing class gives students as much time as they can to practice their writing skills. Starting with writing a paragraph, students have to be acquainted with completing the full essay after several weeks. Later, students are required to write several essays about some topics which they can choose themselves. While practicing their writing, students have the chance to develop their language use based on their current ability. Researching and collecting information skills are practiced while writing academic essays, which is very important for their college level. Teachers instruct students how to choose reliable sources for the article and how to quote them. Students may have feedback from their teachers after each essay for the improvement of future essays. Moreover, students have opportunities to talk with their teachers about problems that they had on their essays.
Academic Speaking Classes
Unlike normal conversation, the program is designed to help students improve their speaking ability in an educational setting to prepare for university. Specifically, interoperability in oral communication and transactional capabilities are focused and improved. For example, students will be given some specific topics and must discuss them with other students and the professor throughout class. Students will be familiar with face-to-face and eye contact while practicing. In addition, the ability to improvise in some cases such as forgetting vocabulary, solving when others speak too fast, and especially learning how to use spoken communication are also enhanced through these classes.
Academic Listening Classes
Similar to academic speaking classes, there are two processes that students need to be familiar with are interactive listening and transactional listening. Interactive listening helps students in daily conversation, such as how to start and give response during oral communicating while transactional listen is more important for students in education. Specifically, skills such as interference, readiness, and eagerness to learn are necessary for students in higher education. During class, students must listen to the conversation or short lectures and take notes or answer the questions based on the information in the video. There is the combination between listening and speaking skills while students have to listen to one specific topic and discuss with their classmates about that.
Academic Reading Classes
Through reading, students are provided with sufficient knowledge to be ready for higher education. Specifically, in order to fully understand a reading, it requires students not only to have enough vocabulary but also a partial knowledge of the topic. Writing and reading skills are also incorporated when students write a summary of the paragraph. Speaking and listening skills have a strong connection with the reading skills because students can practice those skills in reading section. For example, listening to the short conversation and discussing with other classmates about the article often applies while they are in the reading lecture. Other skills such as identifying the subject of the paragraph, citing references to the knowledge that students had, questioning and answering questions are also improved after the course.
Testing/Performance
In the former case, sometimes EAP courses may be intended to raise students' general English levels so that they can enter university. In the UK, this often means endeavouring to help students get a score of 6 or above in the IELTS examination. In the US, this can mean helping students attain a score of 80 or greater on the TOEFL or more than 4 on the iTEP. Outside Anglophone countries, English-medium universities may have a preparatory school where students can spend a year or two working on their English and academic skills before starting degree courses.
Teachers' Role in EAP
The role of teachers in education, especially in the EAP is undeniable. Teachers have the duty to provide student with assessments that encourage, correct, and improve students' proficiency. This can be expressed in the students' works, tests, or oral communication. A meeting in the teacher office can be made if necessary. The teacher also directly affects the student's ability to learn. Designing lectures, topics, and instructions are some of the main things that need to be consulted and researched before being taught. Creating and maintaining a healthy learning environment is essential for students, and teachers are the one who take responsibility for this. The teacher also understands the learning ability of each individual in the class. Therefore, they are also the ones who give topics for articles or design tests for students.
References
Source of article : Wikipedia
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