Abstract
The English immersion teaching approach adopted by SEIB of GDUFS in China was developed on the basis of the immersion theory which was originally developed in North America. Its purpose is to create a learning environment in which the students acquire knowledge in business with English as the main carrier. The adoption of this approach aims to cultivate students with qualifications in both English language proficiency and business knowledge and skills. EDIF is one of the departments within SEIB that has implemented this approach since its establishment in 2001. The paper analyzes the implementation of English immersion teaching approach in the teaching of finance in EDIF from the perspectives of curriculum design, teacher training and recruitment, textbook selection and compilation and classroom teaching. Finally by comparing the results of language proficiency tests of EDIF students and those of the English majors of other colleges in China and by analyzing the employment situation of EDIF graduates, this paper concludes that students of EDIF outperform the other college students in both English language proficiency and employment competitive advantage. This indicates that English immersion teaching approach adopted by EDIF is effective and successful in the cultivation of students in both English proficiency and business knowledge.
Highlights
The results show that language proficiency of the target language learners who have been immersed in the target language environment has been improved to a significant extent, implying that this language acquisition method is effective
The English Immersion teaching approach adopted by EDIF shares a lot similarity with the “sheltered Programs” model in that business knowledge is learnt together with language proficiency and that English language is learnt as a by-product (Cai, 2001)
This indicates that students of EDIF are at a higher level in terms of their English language proficiency despite the fact they devote half less of their time to the study of English language courses than those English majors of other colleges, which to some extent implies the effectiveness of English immersion teaching approach in the acquisition of English language
Summary
Immersion teaching methodology development was based on the theory that the target language is best acquired if the learner is placed in the target language environment This placement can be further divided into two types of immersion: complete and partial. With the success of immersion theory in Canadian Primary schools, later in the 80s, the University of Ottawa created the “Sheltered Programs” model, known as “late, late immersion”, to introduce the theory into a university context According to this model, the second language proficiency of the university students is supposed to be acquired in professional courses where the second language is the only carrier of knowledge (Qiang & Siegel, 2004). This is in line with Wesche (Professor of the University of Ottwa) in that in the learning process, students are exposed sufficiently to a perfect second language learning environment where their attention is directed to the content of the professional knowledge instead of the language itself (cited in Ma, 1994)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
