Language Enrichment revisited: evolving theories and practice in Professional Communication Studies

Abstract

The Professional Communication Studies (PCS) department at the University of Cape Town offers courses at senior undergraduate and postgraduate level. This study evaluates new developments since 2011 of the language development support classes, which are offered to linguistically weak students. The content and structure of the classes is considered in light of current theoretical debates as to the value of explicit teaching of grammar in the context of non-technical generic competencies for engineers. A pilot study of the programme over two years encompassed four modules attended by a total of 62 participants, comprising students from the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment.Results were positive. The majority of students (above 70%) strongly agreed that the intervention had aided them, with no students giving a negative response. Open-ended questions elicited the areas of tuition most needed: weaknesses in sentence structure, verb-noun concord, use of conjunctions and punctuation. Conclusions, supported by literature, are that as a supplement to formal classes, a language enrichment module is effective in improving students’ English written communication, that it supports other interventions and that the module be expanded.