English For Academic Purposes Programs Research Articles

Fluency issues in L2 academy presentations: Linguistic, cognitive and psychological influences on pausing behaviour

Fluency is usually defined in relation to temporal features such as speed of delivery and pauses, and such features are generally the focus of research on fluency. The reasons why pauses occur, however, have received much less attention. This study first explores the distribution and location of pauses in short academic presentations given by students as part of an English for academic purposes (EAP) course at an Australian university. This data is then used to investigate the reasons for a sample of those pauses, using the researchers’ interpretations, followed by student explanations in stimulated recall interviews (SRIs). The main findings provide confirmation that the location and the reasons for those pauses which are likely to affect the fluency of the presentations are a result not only of linguistic and cognitive issues, but also of psychological factors. The results underline the importance of taking all of these factors into account in EAP programmes by encouraging student awareness of their pausing behaviour, its causes, the effect on their audience, and of strategies for dealing with psycholinguistic, as well as linguistic and cognitive issues. The results confirm the value of SRI as a technique in exploring assumptions about the reasons for pauses, and the limitation of focusing solely on statistical analyses of pausing phenomena.

Offering an olive branch: a study of dissenting rater's practices for resolving placement discrepancies

Assessment of student writing by human raters often involves discrepancies, necessitating discussions for resolution. This study explores this process within a US university's English for Academic Purposes program, focusing on the exit practices of dissenting raters - strategies used to conclude disagreements. Utilizing multimodal conversation analysis, the study reveals that dissenting raters typically employ two exit practices: acknowledging personal bias and deferring to the opinions of co-present raters. While acknowledging bias effectively ends disagreements, deferring to others can be perceived as challenging equal participation, thus introducing complexity into the resolution process. The study also highlights how social concerns regarding professional credibility and reputation influence raters’ resolution strategies. The findings offer valuable insights into the interactional complexities of academic placement meetings, underscoring the importance of understanding exit practices in these contexts. They also demonstrate the potential of a conversation analysis approach for uncovering unexplored facets of rater interactions.

Learners’ Perceptions of Writing Difficulties on a Pre-sessional EAP Programme in a British University

This study examines how learners’ perceptions of their academic writing difficulties changed over the course of a four-week intensive English for Academic purposes (EAP) programme at a British university. The participants of this qualitative study were 14 Chinese undergraduate students who engaged in interviews and completed learning journal entries. The results of the thematic analyses indicate that vocabulary which constituted the biggest perceived challenge in Week 1 was no longer mentioned in Week 4 as a source of writing difficulty. Another finding is that after four weeks, students felt they had a better understanding of argumentation in a UK academic context and were not facing major difficulties with using sources and the understanding of argumentation in a UK academic context; they also reported that they were not facing major difficulties with using sources and understanding plagiarism in written assignments. Upon completion of the EAP course, students also reported that they tended to experience noticeably fewer challenges with academic reading. This qualitative study provides insights into the contribution of pre-sessional programmes in the development of learners’ writing as they transition into the academic community.

The nexus between emotional intelligence, learning engagement, motivation, and achievement in team-based mobile language learning

The extant literature on the integration of mobile instant messaging (MIM) into language pedagogy has documented its potential to leverage engagement and learning outcomes. Nevertheless, how individual differences in regard to emotional, sociocognitive, and motivational bearings contribute to language learning gains is hardly documented. This study is devoted to addressing this lacuna through an analysis of structural equation modeling (SEM) which explores the association between trait-emotional intelligence (TEI), online learning engagement (OLE), EFL learning motivation, and their grades in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programs. Three-hundred-seventy-one freshmen in an Indonesian university were involved in EAP programs framed in team-based mobile language learning (TBML), mediated by Telegram as a complementary learning app. The students responded to an online survey eliciting their post-lesson perception of the abovementioned variables. Students’ course grades complemented the data collection. The results of our SEM analysis acknowledged the linear correlation from TEI, OLE, to EFL motivation as the drives to students’ learning achievement. This has also been supported by a robust correlation between the variables. The findings of the present study implicate the pedagogical potentials of TBML to scaffold self-regulated learning and satisfactory language learning gains, provided that students’ emotional intelligence, engagement, and motivation are intensively potentiated across different learning phases. Research limitations and recommendations are also explored.

EMI, EAP, and pedagogy: An autoethnographic account of a case study at a university in Japan

ABSTRACT Kanazawa University, a national university in Japan, offers an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program to its first-year students as a required subject of general education. It is an English-medium instruction (EMI) program with an English-only policy. In this article, I utilize autoethnography as a method to examine this EMI EAP program based on my experiences as a teacher while contextualizing my personal accounts in the extant studies of EAP, EMI, and English language teaching. The article reveals that West-centric coloniality and the native-speakerist myth are operating behind the program as the guiding language ideologies in ways to curtail non-native English-speaking teachers’ and students’ multilingual capacity. The article ends by suggesting potential changes the program may be able to incorporate to decolonize its current problematic pedagogical practices and to transform the program into a space where equitable linguistic sensibility is pursued and nurtured.

The Motivation Conundrum: What motivates university students in an EAP program?

The purpose of the research project described in this paper is to examine the salient features of motivation driving tertiary level learners of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) in the Israeli student population at Bar Ilan University. The quantitative study included 228 undergraduate university EAP students studying in various disciplines. Dornyei’s L2 Motivational Self-System Questionnaire was translated to Hebrew and modified for cultural appropriateness and language clarity. Exploratory factor analysis of the students' answers revealed seven salient features, ranked from highest to lowest, underlying motivation in second language learning with varying degrees of perceived importance. The results present an Israeli perspective which differs from other studies conducted on English Foreign Language (EFL) populations. This leads to the conclusion that a broad perspective toward motivation in the language classroom is important in order to understand motivation among EAP students. Implications for pedagogy and suggestions for future research are explored and discussed.

Learning Strategies in English for Academic Purposes Programs:

Learning strategies cannot be separated from language learning programs. This study aimed to reveal language learning strategies (LLSs) used by Indonesian students enrolled in an international management and accounting program (ICMAP) class. It is a case study of ICMAP 23 learners and five EAP lecturers with extensive EAP backgrounds. Data were gathered through questionnaires and interviews. The findings showed that the participants had various LLSs, and several strategies varied according to individual learning styles and learning needs. All the ICMAP students in this study, except for student six, had more than one strategy, but every learner in the sample chose strategies that could be different from other students. They tend to use direct and indirect strategies in their learning, with compensation strategies being the most commonly used. In addition, they employed cognitive, metacognitive, social, and memory strategies, respectively. The significance of employing diverse learning strategies was strongly emphasized by lecturers who were interviewed and recommended many strategies to address language learning challenges. The findings inspire researchers in the SLA field, particularly regarding second language learners’ strategies.

Building an elicited imitation task as a measure of implicit grammatical knowledge

Elicited imitation tests (EIT) are often used to measure the effects of a form?focused intervention on the development of L2 learners’ implicit grammatical knowledge, which is intuitive and retrieved without conscious awareness. This study investigated the relationship between an EIT focused on the English past tense and a set of other tests; it also examined whether the past-tense morpheme type, grammaticality of the verbs, their position in the stimulus utterances, and the explicitness of the test instructions influence learners’ imitation accuracy. Forty-four university-level students, all native speakers of Mandarin and enrolled in an English for academic purposes program in Canada, completed an EIT along with four other tests over two consecutive sessions. Results revealed that only the imitation of irregular verbs was significantly correlated with the other tests. In addition, the participants were more accurate in repeating the grammatical and correcting the ungrammatical regular verbs but neither the position of the verbs nor the type of instructions significantly influenced imitation. These findings suggest that several factors can influence learners’ performance and the knowledge that they draw upon during an EIT.

Noun Phrase Complexity in ESL Academic Writing

This study explores the relationship between second language proficiency and noun phrase complexity in the writing of students in an English for academic purposes (EAP) program. Based on a developmental progression index suggested by Biber et al. (2011), the project examined noun phrase complexity in the writing of intermediate and advanced students in an EAP program in Ghana. The study’s data consists of a corpus of 50 successful argumentative essays written by intermediate and advanced-level students. Findings from a comparative analysis corroborate the hypothesized developmental index. The intermediate group used more attributive and predicative adjectives, modifiers that have been predicted to occur early in the developmental index while the advanced group used more abstract phrases with relative and noun clauses, modifiers that have been predicted to occur late in the developmental index. Also, the use of noun modifiers by the advanced group was closer to the published frequencies of advanced writers as reported by previous studies (e.g., Lan & Sun, 2019). The paper concludes with some pedagogical implications for L2 academic writing instruction.

An exploratory analysis of revision behavior development of L2 writers on an intensive English for academic purposes program using Bayesian methods

Revision is a fundamental part of the writing process and is particularly important in the production of high-quality academic writing. This study is an exploratory examination of changes in revision behavior, as measured by keystroke logging software, at the beginning (T1) and end (T2) of a one-month intensive English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course on n = 39 undergraduate and postgraduate students. Bayes Factors (BFs) are utilized as measures of strength of evidence for changes in behavior. In this paper, we examine the application of a Bayesian Hypothesis Testing (BHT) approach and its implications specifically for exploratory studies, i.e., studies with relatively small samples intended to search data for emergent patterns. The results show that, in most cases, we have moderate evidence against any change in behavior over time. Based on this evidence, we conclude that the experimental parameters of further exploratory work into the development of revisions should be modified to maximize the chance of finding patterns in the data from which to generate any confirmatory hypotheses.

Influencing language mindsets and English writing competence through an EAP program: A longitudinal study with latent transition analysis

This study examined changes in undergraduate students’ language mindsets and academic writing competence as a result of taking a one-semester English for academic purposes (EAP) writing course with a pre–post intervention on mindset. A total of 319 students participated in the study and completed a 10-week EAP course. The participants were administered the mindset questionnaire and the writing test at two different time-points. The results showed that the participants’ level in one component of growth language mindset (general language intelligence beliefs), and scores on the writing test increased significantly. The results of the latent profile analysis revealed three distinctive profiles among the participants at both time-points: Growth profile, Mixed profile, and Fixed profile. The Growth and Mixed profiles were found to perform significantly better than the Fixed profile on the writing tests. Finally, the result of a latent transition analysis revealed that dynamic shifts in the profile membership could occur through the mindset intervention.

Assessing oral presentations: An analysis of score-reaching dialogue between EAP practitioners

Academic oral presentations (AOPs) often feature as part of assessment suites on English for Academic Purposes programmes. This paper documents what teacher assessors do and pay attention to when reaching score decisions on student assesees’ oral presentation performances on two EAP modules. The fieldwork conducted at two EAP sites was informed by a blend of constructivist grounded theory and ethnographic inquiry traditions. In this paper, an analysis of rating discussions and interviews demonstrates that a series of filters are applied by EAP practitioners to AOP performances when assigning scores. The processes described demonstrate how the social and learning context on EAP programmes influence assessment decisions. The visual representation of the rating process teamed with the description of processes may prove a useful heuristic with which to better understand and critically appraise decision making in EAP classroom-based oral presentation assessment.

Structured Approach to Form-focused Instruction for Reading Comprehension in EAP

Complex noun phrases (CNP) are a major vehicle of academic written discourse (Halliday, 1988/2004). However, despite the view that they pose significant challenges to English language learners, they are rarely taught in college-based English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programs, especially for the purposes of improving reading comprehension.  This article presents a teaching intervention that integrates explanations on and practice with the structure and use of these types of CNP in an EAP program at a large Canadian college.  This specially designed teaching intervention was integrated within a standard curriculum in a non-credit preparatory EAP Reading course. Drawing on the research that has identified elements of syntactic parsing ability instrumental in successful processing and interpretation of CNP, this article describes the reading strategies taught in this intervention and reports on student feedback. It concludes with a discussion on potential improvements to the learning tasks.

An Investigation of Multilingual Domestic University Student Perceptions of English for Academic Purposes.

It is well-established that English for academic purposes (EAP) programmes are critical for academic success in English-medium universities. Nonetheless, there is significantly less research on how EAP programmes impact multilingual domestic university students, compared to that of international students who speak English as a foreign language. While an earlier study on a university in Singapore found that an EAP programme had a statistically significant and positive intervention effect on students’ grade point average of the first semester upon matriculation, this study sought to investigate the perceptions of students from the same university, as this would contribute to how EAP programmes could be refined to better support learning. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 50 students invited based on a maximum variation strategy. Based on the thematic analyses undertaken, four themes (i.e., programme delivery, linguistic improvement, learning transfer and change in self-efficacy) were identified and discussed. These themes contributed to the formulation of SILVER, an innovative framework of components for consideration in EAP course design and delivery within higher education.

Reimagining Online and Blended Provision of English for Academic Purposes: Practices and Reflections from a Distributed Network in East Africa

The online and blended delivery of courses through the use of technologies has attracted attention and research.The teaching and learning of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) in multilingual contexts such as in Africa has also been given prominence in research, as well as the benefits of technology in EAP programmes. The pressing need for technology - supported educational practices has been evidenced by the COVID-19 pandemic that affected most educational systems around the world. Although there is an increasing body of research on the integration of technology in education emerging from developing contexts, most proposed models still come from high-income countries.Therefore, there is a need for more critical and contextually relevant approaches to the integration of technology in education. Based on the authors’ narratives of their lived experiences as teachers of EAP in a university in East Africa, this article aims to describe and reflect on the practices related to design and delivery of online and blended courses to university students, including in a teacher education programme. It is hoped that this work will contribute to discussions on how to make online and blended teaching practices of EAP more contextually relevant and how exogenous resources can be adapted to the realities of students in multilingual developing contexts.The online and blended delivery of courses through the use of technologies has attracted attention and research. The teaching and learning of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) in multilingual contexts such as in Africa has also been given prominence in research, as well as the benefits of technology in EAP programmes. The pressing need for technology-supported educational practices has been evidenced by the COVID-19 pandemic that affected most educational systems around the world. Although there is an increasing body of research on the integration of technology in education emerging from developing contexts, most proposed models still come from high-income countries. Therefore, there is a need for more critical and contextually relevant approaches to the integration of technology in education. Based on the authors’ narratives of their lived experiences as teachers of EAP in a university in East Africa, this article aims to describe and reflect on the practices related to design and delivery of online and blended courses to university students, including in a teacher education programme. It is hoped that this work will contribute to discussions on how to make online and blended teaching practices of EAP more contextually relevant and how exogenous resources can be adapted to the realities of students in multilingual developing contexts.

Interpreting the effectiveness of academic English writing programmes in higher education: A meta-analysis

ABSTRACT This study synthesised previous literature focused on college English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programmes for writing. A meta-analysis of identified longitudinal studies (14 samples; 175 effect sizes; N = 602) revealed that the students improved their English writing through EAP programmes (d = .45, SE = .07, p < .001). By computing effect size mean estimates from ranges for the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles, we proposed effect size interpretation benchmarks for this subdomain of 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 for small, medium, and large effects, respectively, for interpreting the improvements in writing through college EAP programmes. The meta-regression revealed that the students with low English proficiency improved significantly more than those with higher proficiency. Further, the programmes had a small effect in improving accuracy and complexity dimensions of writing. Different features of programmes and contexts have also been found to influence the degree of the improvements in complex ways.

The contested role of translanguaging in English for academic purposes courses: the practices of Chinese international students

ABSTRACT In Australia, international students who do not meet university set English language requirements can alternatively attend intensive courses in English for Academic Purposes (EAP). Such courses are steeped in the traditions of communicative language teaching, often holding ‘English only’ classroom policies. This article draws on data from a larger research project to examine Chinese international students’ practices of learning English vocabulary in an EAP programme. Through the lens of the theory of practice architectures, the study reveals Chinese international students often engaged in translanguaging practices. These practices were enabled by the practice arrangements of their English language classroom, while concurrently resisted by teachers. Here, I argue for EAP teachers, curriculum writers and teachers to harness the translanguaging practices of their students to facilitate more effective learning.

From task-based needs analysis to curriculum evaluation: Putting methodological innovations to the test in an English for academic purposes program

An important initiative in research on second language needs analysis (NA) is the proliferation of recently-proposed methodological standards for ensuring the reliability and validity of NA findings (e.g., Serafini et al., 2015). This paper illustrates how Serafini et al.'s (2015) methodological framework was used to: (a) collect and analyze information on the task-based, academic oral communication needs of EAP students; and (b) evaluate the extent to which the existing EAP curriculum catered to these needs. The data collection featured qualitative and quantitative methods (e.g., document analysis, interviews, observations, questionnaires), a multi-phase design (e.g., open- to close-ended data collection), and multiple sources of information. The analysis focused on triangulating sources and methods in order to gain a more complete understanding of the oral tasks most important for student success. Three task types were identified in this regard: academic lectures, discussions, and presentations. A systematic comparison of the findings with the curriculum's learning outcomes and practices revealed that students' needs were largely being addressed. However, the evaluation also led to reliable conclusions about specific opportunities for curricular improvement for each task type. The results are discussed with an eye towards promoting the use of principled and rational NA in EAP.

Instruction of English for Academic Purposes for Freshman Non-English Majors: Perspective and Practice

An increasing number of universities in China have offered EAP (English for Academic Purposes) to university students. However, issues as to what and how to teach academic English to freshman non-English majors remain unaddressed. This paper, adopted secondary research method, is intended to explore the deficiency Chinese college students may have in participating in communication in the academic community. The result shows that inability to think critically, lack of genre awareness, deficiency in understanding features of academic discourse and the linguistic features of English scientific and technical papers, improper literature citation and inaccurate expression of stance are a major threat to academic progress and success. The paper suggests that six aspects of academic awareness should be raised, and academic skills related be developed when EAP program is offered to freshman non-English majors, in hope of providing insights for the effective implementation of academic English teaching in China.

English for Academic Purposes Programs: Key Trends Across Canadian Universities

Because of the large number of post-secondary English for academic purposes (EAP) programs and the varying ways they are structured, it can be difficult to identify how a particular program fits within the overall landscape of university education.  To identify general trends across Canada, the webpages for 74 EAP programs at 50 public English-medium universities were examined for key information related to each program.  Data analysis included descriptive statistics as well as graphical representation.  The results pointed to typical EAP programs that are independent units that offer non-credit courses with some credit options, have international tuition fees around $9,000 per semester, provide approximately 22 hours of instruction per week, and generally require IELTS scores over 5.0 or TOEFL iBT scores over 59 for entry.  These results provide an avenue of comparison and indicate the need for future research to better understand how EAP programming is conceptualized in the Canadian context.