Abstract
<p>The present study examined how undergraduate students from a prestigious Chinese university perceived the teaching and learning of English for general academic purposes (EGAP) reading and writing courses. Analyses of 951 questionnaires revealed that most participants generally (strongly) believed that learning general academic English was closely related to their major study, reported being motivated to learn general academic English, and expected to improve their academic English reading, writing, listening and speaking skills from EGAP courses. The study also showed that they had consensus about the requirements and teaching and learning foci of general academic English in spite of their concerns about academic English, and that students of more demanding and more academic EGAP courses tended to have a better understanding of general academic English. Based on the findings, some suggestions are discussed.</p>
Highlights
As globalization goes on, English has become the predominant language of communication in all areas, including the academic field (Flowerdew, 1999)
Analyses of 951 questionnaires revealed that most participants generally believed that learning general academic English was closely related to their major study, reported being motivated to learn general academic English, and expected to improve their academic English reading, writing, listening and speaking skills from English for general academic purposes (EGAP) courses
The Appendix reveals that the participants scored from 5.22 to 5.95 on the three AEGAP4 items, all exceeding the item midpoint 4.00, meaning that the participants believed that learning general academic English was closely related to their major study
Summary
English has become the predominant language of communication in all areas, including the academic field (Flowerdew, 1999). As China develops, there has been an increasing demand for trained professionals who are proficient in English (Zhang, Zhang & Liu, 2011) This is stipulated in the new College English Curriculum Requirement (2007) which places high demands on students’ ability to use academic English. To meet these demands, increasingly more educators and researchers in China have been appealing for a reform of shifting the focus of EFL (English as a foreign language) teaching in college from English for general purposes to English for specific/academic purposes (ESP/EAP) (Cai, 2010; Cai & Liao, 2010; Han, 2007; Zhang, 2005; Zhang et al, 2011). As EGAP had been practiced continuously for several semesters to date, the present study aimed to examine how students perceived the teaching and learning of EGAP reading and writing courses in a highly prestigious university in Mainland China
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