Design principles for post-PELA discipline-specific language programs

Abstract

In this paper, we present and illustrate four principles used to develop discipline-specific academic language tutorials for students who enter university with low levels of academic language proficiency. The tutorials are part of a university-wide language support program following a post enrolment language assessment (PELA). The principles respond to recent arguments about the importance of post-PELA language support being integrated into the overall university curriculum, being directly relevant to students’ needs, and being discipline and context specific. Drawing on sociocultural theories of language learning, we outline each principle and then illustrate them with practical frameworks and activities used in academic language development tutorials at a university in Australia. We also provide a discipline-specific language development tutorial plan that incorporates all four principles. These principles will be of interest to practitioners both in English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) centres and in university language programs planning discipline-specific language development activities.