Enska sem kennslumál við Háskóla Íslands og kennsla í akademískri ensku

Abstract

At the same time as English as a medium of instruction (EMI) programs proliferate at Nordic universities, studies are beginning to appear that call attention to the challenges faced by teachers and students who teach and learn in their second language in such programs. A recent survey by the British Council found that this is a world-wide trend. Studies in Iceland show that more and more courses are taught in English and the number of final thesis and dissertations written in English at the University of Iceland have increased. This article describes the response by the Department of English to the changing linguistic environment of the University where over 90% of textbooks are written in English, posing challenges to Icelandic students at their national university. Many students from other departments were signing up for courses in English literature and linguistics hoping to improve their general academic English proficiency. This led to over enrollment in courses and difficulty in meeting diverse student groups’ needs. Instructor turnover was frequent and a general dissatisfaction among students and instructors. In an effort to meet students’ needs better, a new program in academic English was established and the writing program for BA students was reformed with a writing-to-read approach that targets students in EMI programs specifically. The new approach is presented in the textbook The Art and Architecture of Academic Writing. This article describes the new approach and ongoing research to evaluate whether, and if so, how, the new approach enhances students’ writing skills. In previous studies students reported that their writing had improved and that they understood the structure of thesis-driven academic texts as a result of the book and course. Finally, a new study is presented that measured improvements in students’ writing samples before and after. The new study demonstrates that not only has the course led to students’ perceptions of improvement, but that their perceptions are supported by actual improvements in students’ writing. Keywords: English as a medium of instruction in higher education, academic writing instruction, genre-based writing instruction