Facing the Challenges of Higher Education in a Second Language

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Clinton Hendry ◽  
June Ruivivar
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Science Teacher ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Needs Analysis ◽  
Science Program ◽  
Esl Teachers ◽  
English Curriculum ◽  
Speak Up

This chapter reports on a needs analysis on a joint science program in which students spend two years each in China and Canada. Students take ESL courses in China to help them transition to the English curriculum in Canada. Since many of these students plan to work in Canada upon graduation, the authors aimed to determine how the program prepared them not only for university, but also for out-of-class interactions. They interviewed students currently in the Canadian stage of the program, a science teacher, and two ESL teachers. Students were well prepared for academics, but struggle with informal talk. The science teacher found the students to perform well, though were reluctant to speak up. In contrast, the ESL teachers commented on their lack of motivation. All parties noted that a specialized English for academic purposes (EAP) course might address these issues. The authors discuss implications for cross-cultural curriculum design and the need for communication between domain and language experts.

scholarly journals Needs analysis for the design of a professional English curriculum: insights from a French lifelong learning context

2020 ◽  
pp. 37-70
Author(s):  
Naouel Zoghlami
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
Curriculum Study ◽  
Study Data ◽  
English For Specific Purposes ◽  
Needs Analysis ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
English Curriculum ◽  
Research Institution ◽  
Professional Learners

In Chapter 2, Naouel Zoghlami draws on needs analysis as a fundamental approach to inform the design of a professional English curriculum at the Cnam, a unique French research institution of higher education dedicated to lifelong learning. While needs analysis is still not widely used in the development of English for specific purposes programs in French higher education contexts, this study attempts to fill this gap by revealing the kinds of tasks adult professional learners studying at the Cnam say they need to perform in English at work. One of the strengths of this study thus lies in relying on data provided by domain insiders rather than assumptions held by the researcher-teacher about what adults need to learn to inform a professional English curriculum. Study data provide the information needed to improve the existing syllabus and the basis on which to build relevant pedagogical tasks.

scholarly journals Planning needs analysis research for international students in higher education

Porta Lingua ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 109-118
Author(s):  
Ildikó Furka
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
International Students ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Language Education ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Needs Analysis ◽  
Materials Development ◽  
Attention To Students

Research-informed language education has been a valued trend in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) around the world (Hyland, 2014; Purpura − Graziano-King 2004; Akyel − Ozek, 2010; Rao, 2014) and in Hungary (Sárdi, 1997; Édes, 2008; Doró, 2011; Prescott, 2008). EAP instruction for international students in higher education in Hungary, however, is a fairly new phenomenon (Lannert, 2018). Due to the growing number of international students studying in Hungarian higher education institutions, faculties have started to feel the need for systematic attention to students’ skills development. As part of a larger research effort to provide course design, materials development and recommendations for language teachers and subject matter instructors, an inquiry into the current situation at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) was initiated recommended by previous practice (Hyland, 2014, Purpura − Graziano-King, 2004). The paper describes the stakeholders and the background of EAP instruction at BME, the initial identification of data sources, methods of data collection, and preliminary data analysis to inform the next step of the larger research effort. Results will inform the needs analysis instruments to be used to identify the required learning outcomes, the respective language content for the course design and materials development, and the recommendations for teachers involved.

scholarly journals The role of leadership in promoting and supporting the Basic English curriculum design and delivery at two Vietnamese universities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Thuy Thi Bich Tran
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Academic Leadership ◽  
Senior Leaders ◽  
Academic Leaders ◽  
English Curriculum ◽  
Leadership In Higher Education ◽  
Basic English

<p>The purpose of this research study was to explore the role of leadership in supporting the Basic English curriculum design and delivery at two selected Vietnamese non-language major universities specialising in Finance and Accounting. Studies on academic leadership and distributed leadership in higher education are well documented in Western literature (Bolden, Gosling, O’Brien, Peters and Haslam, 2012; Bryman, 2007; Cardno, 2012); however leadership in higher education is largely under-researched in developing countries like Vietnam. Moreover, curriculum design impacts on the wellbeing and effectiveness of higher education (Barnett & Coate, 2005). Leadership is necessary to effect change (Oliver & Huyn, 2010) and therefore potentially to impact on curriculum design and delivery. The role of leadership in making the Basic English curriculum more relevant for graduate students and ensuring that they are better prepared for the workplace is of particular interest in the Vietnamese university context.  This qualitatively-focused case study design, with a small quantitative component, guided by an interpretivist/ constructivist theoretical framework aimed to explore how academic leaders promote the Basic English curriculum design and delivery in the Vietnamese university context. Data were collected through in-depth individual interviews with senior academic leaders and company directors, focus group interviews with English as a foreign language (EFL) lecturers, observations of a curriculum meeting, and an online survey by graduates from the two selected universities. The study employed thematic data analysis techniques. Research shows that the curriculum framework in Vietnamese universities promulgated by the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) results in heavy workloads for academic staff (Gropello, Thomas, Yemenez, Chchibber, & Adams, 2008; Van, 2011). This negatively affects their wellbeing and may reduce their effectiveness as teachers and researchers.  The findings from the study provided evidence that leadership practices in Vietnam were influenced by Confucian values. It also showed that the personal barriers academic leaders and EFL lecturers face vary according to gender. However, academic leadership in Vietnamese higher education contexts in this study reveals a mixture of distributed and collaborative leadership in curriculum design and delivery which can provide insights for other Vietnamese universities. It also revealed that senior leaders and EFL lecturers appear to work collaboratively to solve the issue of curriculum design and delivery.  The findings have implications for policy development and practice. Suggestions made by employers and graduates to institutional leaders, curriculum developers and lecturers are to consider redesigning the curriculum to have a more communicative focus and more oral practice to ensure graduates are better prepared for work. The study has brought insights for senior leaders on how to create successful collaboration with their colleagues and partners in curriculum design and renewal and provided guidance on the enhancement of educational leadership practices in the two chosen universities. The results of this study have contributed to closing the current gaps in understanding how leadership at all levels in higher education impact on curriculum design and delivery. This study will be useful not only in the Vietnamese context but also in other countries where English is taught as a second or foreign language.</p>

scholarly journals The role of leadership in promoting and supporting the Basic English curriculum design and delivery at two Vietnamese universities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Thuy Thi Bich Tran
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Academic Leadership ◽  
Senior Leaders ◽  
Academic Leaders ◽  
English Curriculum ◽  
Leadership In Higher Education ◽  
Basic English

<p>The purpose of this research study was to explore the role of leadership in supporting the Basic English curriculum design and delivery at two selected Vietnamese non-language major universities specialising in Finance and Accounting. Studies on academic leadership and distributed leadership in higher education are well documented in Western literature (Bolden, Gosling, O’Brien, Peters and Haslam, 2012; Bryman, 2007; Cardno, 2012); however leadership in higher education is largely under-researched in developing countries like Vietnam. Moreover, curriculum design impacts on the wellbeing and effectiveness of higher education (Barnett & Coate, 2005). Leadership is necessary to effect change (Oliver & Huyn, 2010) and therefore potentially to impact on curriculum design and delivery. The role of leadership in making the Basic English curriculum more relevant for graduate students and ensuring that they are better prepared for the workplace is of particular interest in the Vietnamese university context.  This qualitatively-focused case study design, with a small quantitative component, guided by an interpretivist/ constructivist theoretical framework aimed to explore how academic leaders promote the Basic English curriculum design and delivery in the Vietnamese university context. Data were collected through in-depth individual interviews with senior academic leaders and company directors, focus group interviews with English as a foreign language (EFL) lecturers, observations of a curriculum meeting, and an online survey by graduates from the two selected universities. The study employed thematic data analysis techniques. Research shows that the curriculum framework in Vietnamese universities promulgated by the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) results in heavy workloads for academic staff (Gropello, Thomas, Yemenez, Chchibber, & Adams, 2008; Van, 2011). This negatively affects their wellbeing and may reduce their effectiveness as teachers and researchers.  The findings from the study provided evidence that leadership practices in Vietnam were influenced by Confucian values. It also showed that the personal barriers academic leaders and EFL lecturers face vary according to gender. However, academic leadership in Vietnamese higher education contexts in this study reveals a mixture of distributed and collaborative leadership in curriculum design and delivery which can provide insights for other Vietnamese universities. It also revealed that senior leaders and EFL lecturers appear to work collaboratively to solve the issue of curriculum design and delivery.  The findings have implications for policy development and practice. Suggestions made by employers and graduates to institutional leaders, curriculum developers and lecturers are to consider redesigning the curriculum to have a more communicative focus and more oral practice to ensure graduates are better prepared for work. The study has brought insights for senior leaders on how to create successful collaboration with their colleagues and partners in curriculum design and renewal and provided guidance on the enhancement of educational leadership practices in the two chosen universities. The results of this study have contributed to closing the current gaps in understanding how leadership at all levels in higher education impact on curriculum design and delivery. This study will be useful not only in the Vietnamese context but also in other countries where English is taught as a second or foreign language.</p>

scholarly journals College English Curriculum Group: The Construction Based on Needs Analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 80
Author(s):  
Jianfeng Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
English Education ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Needs Analysis ◽  
College English ◽  
English Curriculum ◽  
Teaching Principles ◽  
Internet Platform

The rapid development of society and economy is not only the opportunity but also the challenge of the college English teaching in China. Nowadays, traditional college English curriculum, with its monotonous content and musty teaching principles, can hardly activate learners’ motivation, because the curriculum design neglects learners’ needs. Therefore, instrument, humanity and profession should be integrated in English education and college English curriculum group has been designed and constructed. In this curriculum system, based on the learners’ needs analysis, EGP and ESP are combined; and on the Internet platform that makes use of educational resources, a new mode of English Instruction, “online teaching + traditional teaching + autonomous inquiry + discussion”, has been explored; the comprehensive assessment system and reasonable teacher structures are designed so that learners’ motivation can be activated and the practical ability of foreign language can be improved significantly.

scholarly journals An Exploration of an Innovative Curriculum and an Effectiveness of Pedagogy of ESP Courses with Special Reference to Engineering World

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. p268
Author(s):  
Dr. Jamel Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Special Reference ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Reliable Data ◽  
Needs Analysis ◽  
English Curriculum ◽  
Grammar Teaching ◽  
Learner Centered ◽  
English For Occupational Purposes ◽  
Innovative Curriculum

The present study is an effort to explore a cutting-edge engineering-English curriculum and a time-tested pedagogy based on longitudinal needs-analysis to best suit the students and professionals of engineering world. The needs analysis in this study drew on both English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) that the students and professionals of engineering disciplines need to master in order to perform well in their respective domains. The quantitative and qualitative surveys were conducted on one thousand respondents including the engineering students, professionals, professors and ELT/ESP practitioners of Saudi universities to collect valid and reliable data with the purpose of confirming what kinds of innovative English curricula and effective pedagogies will be the best panaceas for Saudi engineering students’ academic and occupational needs. With regard to the English curriculum, the findings reveal that it needs to be contents-based embedded in integrated language activities, vocabulary and communicative grammar teaching. For pedagogy to be effective and productive, as the findings reveal, the ESP educators have to be highly learner-centered, multidimensional, communicative, collaborative and interdisciplinary.

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