scholarly journals Perceptions of the Effect of an EAP Course on English Self-efficacy and English Proficiency: Voices of International Students in China

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Michael Agyemang Adarkwah ◽  
Yu Zeyuan

The English language has become an essential means for communication and studies for international students globally. With the increasing number of international students trooping to China to study diverse courses which are taught in the English medium, there is a need to address challenges faced by international students from non-native English speaking countries. The study adopted an embedded mixed-method approach where face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions were conducted on freshmen international students taking English for Academic Purposes (EAP) in a specific faculty of a university in China. The interviews were supplemented by the Questionnaire of English Self-Efficacy (QESE) to measure their perceived English self-efficacy after the course. An online questionnaire on English Course Evaluation (ECE) was used to measure the students’ assessment of the course. The findings of the study offer insights into the effect of the intervention, challenges faced by students during the course, and suggestions on things to consider during the implementation of English courses for non-native English students in the future.

2004 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liying Cheng ◽  
Johanna Myles ◽  
Andy Curtis

Universities and colleges in Canada and other English-speaking countries have become increasingly concerned with linguistic and cultural diversity and internationalizing their campuses, both to enhance local and international students' experiences on campus and to prepare them to function in their careers and the larger society. Most international students are non-native English-speaking (NNES) and need support to develop the English language proficiency required for engagement in the academic demands of the Canadian university milieu. This small-scale study at a Canadian university, by way of a survey and follow-up interview, addresses the gap in our understanding between academic skills that are required at the graduate level and those that learners of English find difficult. The findings suggest that by targeting academic skills that are both required and difficult, efficiency can be achieved in the design of programmatic supports for developing English for academic purposes (EAP). The findings further suggest that international students may lack independent strategies for advancing their English-language proficiency and that these too can be targeted in an EAP program.


Author(s):  
Ida Nyoman Tri Darma Putra

The aim of this study to analyze students' English speaking skills in conducting taking orders procedure in restaurants.  This study is conducted in order to overcome the problems encountered by the students in speaking activities in taking orders. To measure the ability of students in speaking English in taking orders, the researchers observed the procedures that the students did not perform and measure the students’ competence of English language. Samples of this study are the fourth semester students in Hospitality courses Diploma Degree of Mataram Tourism Institute in Academic Year 2018/2019. The results of this study indicated that the level of completeness of the procedure in taking student orders in STP Mataram is in average. More than 50% students have conducted the appropriate procedure when taking orders in using English. From the result of data analysis in measuring the students’ competence in speaking English, the mean score is 78.90 with standard deviation is 12.14. From the result, it is converted and get score 3.1. The score showed that the ability of English students from 40 students in STP Mataram classified as Good Criteria.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 10539-10539
Author(s):  
Kelechi Ngozi Eguzo ◽  
Nofisat Ismaila ◽  
Usenime Akpanudo ◽  
Oluoha Chukwuemeka ◽  
Aniekan Jacob ◽  
...  

10539 Background: Most Nigerian clinicians lack adequate skills and resources in screening, diagnosis, and managing women with breast cancer. The absence of locally-sensitive clinical pathways in hospitals in Abia State impact patient outcomes and clinicians job satisfaction. Blended learning (BL), a combination of online and face-to-face teaching methods, has been used in other settings to improve the competencies of clinicians. Research seeks to develop and evaluate a BL course that will train clinicians in Abia State on using NCCN breast cancer management guidelines, and to develop and implement locally-sensitive clinical pathways. Methods: The course is divided into four online modules delivered via Google Classroom and a workshop module to be delivered in 3 cities. Course evaluation involves an objective-focused method, following a mixed-methods design. Data collection includes pre-and-post-tests, course evaluation and focus group discussions. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and t-test. Comments deductively analyzed to identify common themes. A sample size of 107 individuals is required to identify a moderate effect size for the BL course. Results: Forty-three participants (physicians=15, Nurses=28) have been recruited for cohort 1, with average age of 44 (±9.9) years. Most participants have never taken an online class (65%) but use mobile phones (60%) to access the course. With a maximum of 20 points in each test, there is a pattern of improvement in the post-tests performance compared with the pre-tests. Table shows mean scores. Most participants have expressed satisfaction with the course. Conclusions: Results show improvement in learning. More participants are being recruited. The workshops will hold at after the online modules.[Table: see text]


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 45-65
Author(s):  
Lucyna Aleksandrowicz-Pędich

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study has been to analyse the use of English as lingua franca at an internationalised university in a non-English speaking country, the challenges caused by the need to use English for academic and social purposes as well as the use of other languages by a multicultural student community. Methodology: The methodology was based on qualitative research and involved open-ended interviews with students of 14 nationalities as well as staff members, both local (Polish) and from English-speaking countries. Findings: The main findings indicate: a degree of mismatch between the self-perception of English language competence and the actual ability to use it; the key function of language for social bonding; frequent recourse to first language comfort zones rather than the use of the lingua franca. Value Added: The research focuses on English language issues in a non-English speaking country, an understudied area in higher education. It draws attention to the use of Russian as a secondary lingua franca among students for whom it is their other language of fluent communication. Recommendations: University level educators should be more aware of the specificity of the problems in the use of English by international students, including such as underestimated listening comprehension issues, tensions connected with the use of polite forms and the mismatch between communication skills in English and the academic needs. The impact of language identity on international students social networking should be taken into account as well.


Author(s):  
Pramudana Ihsan ◽  
Eryna Rista Aulia

Public speaking has become an integral part of many professions and is at the center of career development opportunities. Therefore, the change in the education system from offline to online has led to new ideas in the implementation of public speaking learning, namely by using Instagram as a learning medium for collecting assignments intended to introduce or sell English language skills which are usually called Edupreneurship. That way, it is hoped that not only carry out learning and collect assignments but also something is obtained. However, learning still prioritizes output. Therefore, in this study, we refer to the personal branding theory. The purpose of this study is to determine how effective the use of Instagram is as a medium to promote English speaking skills, to find out the followers' responses regarding the skills possessed by English students, and also what was gained from promoting English speaking skills. The subjects in this study were students in the 5th semester. The number of respondents was 25 students. This research was conducted using data collection methods through Google forms. The results showed that Instagram provided effects and benefits to students, most of them stated that: (1) Students felt more confident in speaking English, (2) Students felt an improvement in their abilities, (3) Students felt more enthusiastic about positive comments and motivated by negative comments, (4) Students feel that Instagram is the right medium for promoting English speaking skills, (5) Students get input in the form of work.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 934-953
Author(s):  
Catherine Gomes

International students from culturally and linguistically diverse countries travel to Australia because of the opportunity to study courses in the English language with some coming to this country just to study the language itself. Such desires moreover create students to engage in creative strategies to improve their language skills. This paper, however, suggests that the desire to be skilled in English through immersion in an English-speaking country like Australia creates challenges to the mental wellbeing of international students. Reporting on interview data with 47 international students of Asian descent in the Australian city of Melbourne, this paper reveals these challenges to include lived and perceived notions of self and belonging, as well as loneliness.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Gopal Prasad Pandey

English for academic purpose (EAP) emerged as a branch of English for specific purposes in the early 1980s. EAP grounds English language teaching in the linguistic demands of academic context, tailoring instruction to specific rather than general purposes. There is a growth of interest in EAP in the recent years. The interest in EAP developed in response to the growing need for intercultural awareness and of English as a lingua franca (ELF). EAP has become a major area of research in applied linguistics and focus of the courses studied worldwide by a large number of students preparing for study in colleges and universities. The increase in students’ undertaking tertiary studies in English-speaking countries has led to a steady demand for the courses tailored to meet the immediate, specific vocational and professional needs. Thus, most universities in the present day world prioritize the role of academic skills. The aim of the paper is to examine the key approaches to the teaching of English for academic purposes, current trends in teaching EAP, and to argue the centrality and significance of EAP in the academia. The paper concludes by arguing that a greater emphasis needs to be placed on methodology in EAP.


Author(s):  
Natalia Fedorova

Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses are meant to prepare international students for their undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in an English-speaking academic environment. Prospective university candidates for whom English is not the first language are required to complete a pre-sessional EAP course if their IELTS score is lower than the admissions requirements. Even though, in terms of the language requirement, the lack of language proficiency is the only reason preventing international students from entering their degree programmes directly, the course they are required to take is an EAP course rather than a General English one, hence, not directly addressing their lack of general language proficiency. In this essay I question the need to impose such a course on international students: is EAP in its current shape necessary for their success at university or is it merely a product of neoliberalism in higher education?


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-27
Author(s):  
Abdulrahman Alzamil

In March 2020, schools in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were suspended. Online learning became a substitute for traditional face-to-face learning. This study addresses the implications of this shift for the attitudes of university-level English majored Saudi students taking a listening and speaking course. The study investigated the students’ attitudes towards: a) the importance of speaking in English; b) teachers use of emails to communicate their feedback on students’ English-speaking tasks; c) online teaching of English speaking; and d) online learning and teaching of the English language. The data collection tool was a 21-item questionnaire. The participants were 18 second-year male Saudi students who were studying English at a Saudi university. The findings showed that the participants: a) had positive attitudes towards the importance of speaking English; b) appreciated the benefits that online learning offers, but felt it could not replace face-to-face learning.


ReCALL ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 5 (8) ◽  
pp. 28-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hilary Nesi

In common with similar units in many other British Universities, the Centre for English Language Teacher Education at Warwick University offers support in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) for students whose first language is not English. Students newly arriving from overseas are contacted via their departments and are invited to attend classes covering a range of language skills associated with EAP. Classes are typically well-attended in the first months of the academic year, and attendance tends to fall off in the second term, although there is an upsurge in interest in certain areas, such as Academic Writing, as students become increasingly involved in assignment and dissertation writing.


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