Abstract
In programs meant for foreign language majors, there is typically a broad range of linguistic competence in advanced-level Languages for Specific Purposes (LSP) courses. Troublesome in any course, this is especially so when instruction directly relates to professional training, where students need to attain a level of competence that will allow them to subsequently function as fully independent language learners. Considering the normal constraints on in-class instruction, the mobilization of ubiquitous instructional technology resources, coupled with sound curriculum design and metacognitive awareness raising, is critical to providing the amount of time on task required to attain this objective. The case of the English for Specific Academic Purposes course that is the subject of this study provides an example of how the challenge of bringing students up to the level of independent language learners has been approached. It is hoped this may serve as a pedagogical model that can be applied to advanced-level LSP courses in general.
Highlights
The presence of disparate competency levels of students in advanced-level language classes is a fact of life in all but the most highly selective programs
As in programs meant for foreign language majors, so, too, there is typically a broad range of linguistic competence in advanced-level Languages for Specific Purposes (LSP) courses, the students of which by definition major in non-language disciplines
The aim of the present study was to propose a pedagogical model that could be implemented in advanced-level LSP courses, mainly focusing on four elements: placement testing, curriculum design, metacognitive awareness raising, and ubiquitous instructional technology, the latter being used to centralize the storage and distribution course resources, support collaborative student communicative interaction, and extend the teaching and learning process beyond the classroom
Summary
The presence of disparate competency levels of students in advanced-level language classes is a fact of life in all but the most highly selective programs. As in programs meant for foreign language majors, so, too, there is typically a broad range of linguistic competence in advanced-level Languages for Specific Purposes (LSP) courses, the students of which by definition major in non-language disciplines. This is very much the case in the English for Speech and Language Therapy course (ESLT) that is the subject of this study. Languages 2017, 2, 16 from specific disciplines [4], while the latter focuses more generally on the social and ideological nature of academic writing independently of model texts [4,5] These two approaches typically target a different student audience than the one in the course described here.
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