scholarly journals French for Professional Purposes in US Undergraduate Education: An Analysis of Course Offerings and Student Demand

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hélène Bouche ◽  
Deborah S. Reisinger
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Education ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
French Language ◽  
The Past ◽  
The North ◽  
Course Offerings ◽  
Student Demand ◽  
Academic Year

In the past decade, there has been a significant decline in French language enrollments in US higher education institutions, despite a growing demand for French proficiency in the North American job market. These trends illustrate the need to offer French for Professional Purposes (FPP) courses, which allow students to develop language skills adapted to the professional environment. Our research aims to analyze the supply and demand for FPP courses. In this current study, we assessed the proportion of four-year colleges and universities that offer FPP courses, and we compiled the variety of their course offerings. We then conducted a survey of students enrolled in the FPP courses. Among the 545 institutions reviewed, a majority offered at least one FPP course, usually Business French. Institutions offering more than one course and a wider diversity of course topics were less common. Based on questionnaire responses, we found a significant mismatch between the supply of courses and students’ demand for FPP course offerings. We also found that, if given the possibility, most undergraduate students in the first through third years would like to enroll in another FPP course in the following academic year. These results call for further developments of FPP courses nationwide and greater diversification of course offerings.

scholarly journals The development and implementation of a Peer Assisted Learning programme at the University of Liverpool

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gita Sedghi ◽  
Trish Lunt
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
Peer Assisted Learning ◽  
The Past ◽  
Programme Design ◽  
Evaluation Feedback ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Student Input ◽  
The University ◽  
Academic Year

A Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) programme was designed and implemented in the Department of Chemistry in the University of Liverpool during the 2012-13 academic year. The PAL programme was initially set up to support first year chemistry undergraduate students with one particular maths module but was extended to offer support to all Year 1 modules. The PAL programme was also designed to meet the needs of a second cohort of students, year 2 direct entry international students, but this paper focuses on the first year student programme.   A key element to the development of the Liverpool PAL programme was the contribution of student input throughout the initial programme design stages and, importantly, the ongoing involvement of students during the operation of the programme over the last three years. They provided evaluation and feedback on the programme’s organisation and effectiveness, and were involved in subsequent discussions to analyse the data from these processes in order to improve and develop the programme. The concept of working with students as partners is not new, but it has risen in profile in recent years as highlighted by Healey et al. (2014) and many others. We believe that the PAL programme would not be as effective as it is without the ongoing involvement of students in all elements of the programme.   The paper will discuss the development and implementation of the PAL programme over the past three years, and highlight the value and importance of the role and contribution of the students in making the programme what it is today, as evidenced by the evaluation feedback from the students.

scholarly journals An IDeA for enhancing undergraduate research at rural primarily undergraduate institutions

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 464-471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald A. Sens ◽  
Karen L. Cisek ◽  
Pat Conway ◽  
Van A. Doze
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Baccalaureate Degree ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
The North ◽  
Undergraduate Institutions ◽  
Student Researchers ◽  
Post Baccalaureate ◽  
Academic Year ◽  
Salary Support

This study documents the efforts of the North Dakota (ND) IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program to assist in the development of undergraduate research programs at four state-supported primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) in ND. The study was initiated in the 2004–2005 academic year and continues to the present. The study shows that gaining initial institutional support for undergraduate research was assisted by providing salary support for faculty involved in undergraduate research. Once research was ongoing, each institution evolved their own unique plan for the use of support from the ND INBRE. Undergraduate student researchers have prepared, presented, and defended their research results on 188 unique posters since initiation of the program, with many posters being presented at more than one meeting. PUI faculty have authored 35 peer-reviewed manuscripts. Evaluation has shown that over 95% of the undergraduate students performing research matriculated with their bachelor’s degree. Career choices of 77.2% of these graduates was determined, and 37% pursued a career in the health professions. Of the students not pursuing a post-baccalaureate degree, 81.2% chose careers directly linked to science. The study reinforces the concept that undergraduate research can be performed directly on the PUI campus and be of value in preparing the next generation of health professionals in research, service, and teaching.

scholarly journals John Hopcroft's views on China's education

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 713-717 ◽  
Author(s):  
By Weijie Zhao ◽  
Zhenjiang Hu
Keyword(s):  
Computer Science ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Education ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Cornell University ◽  
The Past ◽  
Years Of Teaching Experience ◽  
Peking University ◽  
Education In China

Abstract Professor John Hopcroft at Cornell University is a Turing Prize winner (1986) and an educator with more than 55 years of teaching experience. For the past 10 years, Hopcroft has been coming to China to give courses to undergraduate students at Shanghai Jiaotong University (SJTU) and has helped SJTU to improve the quality of computer-science education. He also chairs the Center on Frontiers of Computing Studies at Peking University (PKU), the Turing Class at PKU and the Hopcroft Center at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) in Wuhan, and is engaged in many other projects aiming to upgrade China's computer-science undergraduate education. Recently, NSR talked with Professor Hopcroft to learn his views on education in China.

scholarly journals Meeting the Demands For New Degree Programs and Course Offerings: The Experience at Maryland

1978 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 21-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. E. Strand ◽  
F. E. Bender
Keyword(s):  
Master's Degree ◽  
Resource Economics ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
University Of Maryland ◽  
The Past ◽  
Course Offerings ◽  
Master’S Degree ◽  
Academic Year

During the past fifteen years, many changes have taken place in the curriculum of the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Maryland. Twelve new courses have been added, ten courses dropped and a new non-thesis Master's degree developed since the 1963–64 academic year.

scholarly journals Perceptions of storm surges in north Queensland

2021 ◽  
Vol 10.47389/36 (36.4) ◽  
pp. 75-81
Author(s):  
Kristy Livock ◽  
Anne L Swinbourne
Keyword(s):  
Risk Communication ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Storm Surges ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Perception Of Risk ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
James Cook ◽  
The Past ◽  
The North ◽  
Australian Coastline

Storm surges have the potential to bring widespread damage to the north Australian coastline. The dangers from the wind aspect of cyclones are well understood, however, it is unclear if the same can be said about the potential dangers from accompanying storm surges. This study explored the differences between how cyclones and storm surges are perceived by people who are vulnerable to such events. It is important to consider these aspects given that storm surges have not occurred frequently in the past but may happen more often in the future. The sample consisted of 231 undergraduate students studying psychology subjects at James Cook University in Townsville in north Queensland. Participants were asked to record their experience with cyclones and storm surges, their understanding of official warnings used when these events are imminent and a self-assessment of their ability to plan and prepared for these events. Perceptions of severity, possible negative consequences, likelihood and preparedness for both events were also obtained. The results demonstrated that participants living in this region are not as familiar with the particulars of storms surges as they are with cyclones. This study suggests that further research is needed to understand how experience can both facilitate and impede perception of risk, so that risk communication can be best structured for people who do not perceive themselves as being vulnerable.

Getting EFL Learners to Speak: Obstacles and Solutions

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (01) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
Eulis Rahmawati
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Factors ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Education ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Education Department ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Research Problems ◽  
English Competence ◽  
Academic Year

This research investigates how process of speaking instruction takes place at IAIN SMH Banten. There are three main issues in the research problems: the process of teaching speaking, obstacles found in the teaching and learning process, and what efforts do they make to solve the obstacles in speaking. The process of teaching speaking discusses materials, preparation, procedures or steps in teaching speaking while obstacles and solutions discuss the speaking barriers that the students faced in speaking class and how they minimize the barriers. By applying descriptive qualitative research design to students of fourth semester in academic year 2014/2015, the result shows that the focus of speaking instruction at the fourth semester of English education department of IAIN SMH Banten seemed to let the students speak, without any language skills discussion as the feedback. At the same time, during the process of speaking instruction there are some problems faced by students. The first is  problem of limited English Competence dealt with students poor of vocabulary and the second is problems of psychological factors.

British Council’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Students’ Manual: A Critical Analysis of the Coursebook Taught at Pakistani Universities for Academic Purposes (EAP) Students’ Manual: A Critical Analysis of the Coursebook Taught at Pakistani Universities

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Teaching Principles

English for Academic Purposes course focusing on the academic language needs of students is a subfield of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). It is a type of specialized course to integrate specific subject matter, language content, and material based on learners’ needs. The study aims to evaluate the British Council’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) coursebook in terms of content, sequencing, learners’ autonomy, motivation, feedback and focus on language skills. Furthermore, the study tries to provide a general perception of the usefulness and effectiveness of the coursebook for undergraduate students. The EAP Students’ Manual coursebook is used as a primary source for the data collection. The researcher has chosen Nation & Macalister (2010) model of language teaching principles to analyze and discuss the data. The study found the coursebook a useful, effective and an appropriate source of English language learning in terms of the investigated aspects of the book. The findings report that the coursebook provides practice and practical usage in all domains of the academically required English language skills. It helps the students to build language competency and to be more independent learners. In addition, it provides an opportunity to the learners to think in the target language, use the language more practically and learn it in a natural type of environment. The study concludes and suggests that the content needs to be supplemented with English language audios and videos presenting the students relevant documentaries and helping material in order to make the coursebook and the learning process more useful, effective, interesting and motivating. Furthermore, the study recommends that while choosing /designing a coursebook for a certain course, it needs to be evaluated following the various criteria and language-teaching-principles suggested by different language researchers.

British Council’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Students’ Manual: A Critical Analysis of the Coursebook Taught at Pakistani Universities

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Teaching Principles ◽  
Language Needs

English for Academic Purposes course focusing on the academic language needs of students is a subfield of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). It is a type of specialized course to integrate specific subject matter, language content, and material based on learners’ needs. The study aims to evaluate the British Council’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) coursebook in terms of content, sequencing, learners’ autonomy, motivation, feedback and focus on language skills. Furthermore, the study tries to provide a general perception of the usefulness and effectiveness of the coursebook for undergraduate students. The EAP Students’ Manual coursebook is used as a primary source for the data collection. The researcher has chosen Nation & Macalister (2010) model of language teaching principles to analyze and discuss the data. The study found the coursebook a useful, effective and an appropriate source of English language learning in terms of the investigated aspects of the book. The findings report that the coursebook provides practice and practical usage in all domains of the academically required English language skills. It helps the students to build language competency and to be more independent learners. In addition, it provides an opportunity to the learners to think in the target language, use the language more practically and learn it in a natural type of environment. The study concludes and suggests that the content needs to be supplemented with English language audios and videos presenting the students relevant documentaries and helping material in order to make the coursebook and the learning process more useful, effective, interesting and motivating. Furthermore, the study recommends that while choosing /designing a coursebook for a certain course, it needs to be evaluated following the various criteria and language-teaching-principles suggested by different language researchers.

Interrogating the Constitutionality of Federal Character Principle in Nigeria

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (07) ◽  
pp. 20492-20498
Author(s):  
Aborisade Olasunkanmi ◽  
Christopher Agulanna
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Research Work ◽  
National Unity ◽  
The Past ◽  
The North ◽  
Inhibiting Factors

This work interrogates federal character principle (FCP) in Nigeria. The FCP was designed to fundamentally address the striking features of Nigeria politics of intense struggles for power among the different ethnic groups in the country between the elites from the North and their Southern counterparts and the various segments, but the practice of FCP in Nigeria so far raises curiosity and doubts. Given the outcome of the interrogation, this research work discovered and conclude that federal character has not indeed achieve its objective in the Nigeria, the study finds that Ethnocentrism, Elitism, Mediocrity, Mutual suspicion amongst others accounts for some inhibiting factors of the FCP in Nigeria. Like many other provisions of the Constitution, the Federal Character principle was meant to correct some imbalances experienced in the past, but it has created more problems than it has attempted to solve. Rather than promote national unity, it has disunited Nigerians. There is an urgent need to use more of professionals and result oriented Nigerians to carry out national tasks, than to use unprogressive people due to this "Federal character" issue. Nigeria should be a place where one's track records and qualifications are far greater than just "where they come from" or their lineage if Nigerian truly want to progress.

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