English For Academic Purposes Reading Research Articles

Exploring EAP English text readability and reader ability of Chinese university students through Lexile measures and metaphorical conceptualizations

This study aimed to ascertain and then close gaps between the readability demanded by degree-level textbooks in English and the reading abilities of Chinese students in a foundation programme of an English-medium university in China. A quasi-experimental research design shows Lexile-based reading interventions conducted both outside and inside class over one year within an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) class which might close the reading gap. Participants' English reading experiences were explored through Metaphor Analysis of their constructed metaphors regarding reading, academic reading and EAP reading strategies. The quantitative results show a significant reading ability growth in the experimental group after engaging in Lexile-based reading activities. This suggests that the Lexile-based reading intervention tends to raise students' reading ability towards a desired standard. Students completing inside-class reading journals made greater reading improvements than those joining outside-class reading tutorials. The metaphor analysis showed conceptualisations within five broad functions of reading evident in the participants’ metaphors: cognitive, affective, socio-cultural, moral-spiritual, and aesthetic. The cognitive and emotional aspects emerge saliently in both positive and negative student comments in metaphors on reading. Pedagogic implications and applications are suggested.

Rethinking EAP Reading Courses: Insights from Student Feedback

English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programs are crucial for developing language skills in academic settings, and course evaluation plays a key role in assessing their impact, meeting student needs and improving the curriculum and instruction. This study evaluates an EAP Reading Course implemented in an English Language Preparatory Program in a Turkish higher education institution, seeking to enhance curriculum and instruction through student feedback. Using a qualitative case study approach, a focus group interview gathered data from a student group at the end of the academic year. Inductive content analysis revealed noteworthy findings in course components like content, materials, technology integration, and duration. This research informs EAP reading course development, curricula, and materials in English Language preparatory programs in higher education, offering insights to enhance similar courses and ultimately improve students’ overall educational experiences.

Affective Factors and Eustress-Distress of Nursing English Students: A Comparison Analysis

Studies outside of cognitive aspects, especially on psychological and affective factors, still have limited findings. These two issues contribute greatly to the success of EFL learning. This study aims to identify the level of eustress-distress, anxiety-self-efficacy, and comparisons between these variables on the learning performance of nursing students. This study uses a mixed method, a comparative study using closed and open questionnaires, and an English language proficiency test (EAP reading test) for 95 nursing students in the program of English for Academic Purposes (EAP). Certainly, the analysis uses correlation and comparison tests through PLS-SEM and qualitative analysis of open questionnaires. The results showed that level of eustress-distress, and anxiety-self-efficacy of students were quite satisfactory. This means that students can adapt positive reactions to learning pressure, are more enthusiastic, and develop good self-confidence. Distress has no impact on self-efficacy and learning performance, but distress has a strong effect on eustress. There is a strong impact and correlation between anxiety on self-efficacy and self-efficacy on learning performance. So self-efficacy shows a strong moderating variable to bridge anxiety and learning performance. Qualitative findings also show that there are internal and external factors for the growth of eustress and self-efficacy. Further recommendations on these findings are also presented at the end of this study.

EAP reading ability development during the process of generating research questions: A CDST perspective

Employing the complex dynamic systems theory (CDST) perspective, this case study reports on how three Chinese graduate students majoring in psychology developed their English for Academic Purposes (EAP) reading ability and to what factors they attributed the development in the process for generating research questions for their degree theses. Their EAP reading ability development was investigated by analyzing their reading performance on fourteen journal articles during one semester on a weekly basis from a CDST perspective. Four dimensions of EAP reading ability were investigated and were examined by 14 reading tests, two synthesis writings, and two presentation tasks. The factors that they attributed to were explored by weekly semi-structured interviews. The results revealed that, i) the reading comprehension ability of the three students showed different non-linear development patterns and finally reached a high level; ii) ability to analyse how research questions were proposed developed slower but finally reached a satisfactory level; iii) the synthesis ability developed even slower; and iv) critique ability only developed at a preliminary level. Major influential factors included students' disciplinary knowledge, vocabulary, and the supervisor's guidance. This study may shed light on EAP reading instruction and degree thesis writing.

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.

Beyond comprehension: Reading requirements in first-year undergraduate courses

English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses play an important role in preparing EAL (English as an Additional Language) learners for their university studies. Reading skills hold a significant place in such preparation courses because they are foundational skills. EAP pedagogy and research on reading have largely focused on reading comprehension skills. While these skills are necessary to include in instruction programs, at university more complex skills of reading are required (Enright et al., 2000; Grabe & Stoller, 2019). Our research was conducted at one New Zealand university to understand the reading types, reading load, and reading requirements in first-year courses in humanities and social sciences. Close analysis suggests that in addition to textbooks and textbook chapters, academic book chapters and journal articles take up a considerable proportion of university readings, and the reading load is also quite high. Interviews with lecturers suggest that reading comprehension is important but not sufficient for course writing assignments. Students need to critically engage with the readings, write their assignments based on the course readings, and reflect the readings in their written assignments. The study discusses implications for reading research and pedagogy. Further, suggestions are made for EAP reading instruction and reading assessment tasks.

Reading is a multidimensional construct at child-L2-English-literacy onset, but comprises fewer dimensions over time: Evidence from multidimensional IRT analysis

This study explored the interplay between content knowledge and reading ability in a large-scale multistage adaptive English for academic purposes (EAP) reading assessment at a range of ability levels across 1–12 graders. The datasets for this study were item-level responses to the reading tests of ACCESS for ELLs Online 2.0. A sample of 10,000 test takers were each time randomly drawn from the test-taking population at five grade clusters without manipulation on proficiency levels, and then with manipulation on proficiency levels. The results indicated that although the bi-factor multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) model fit the data significantly better than the unidimensional two-parameter logistic (2PL) model for Grade 1, no clear evidence can be found regarding the dimensionality of the test for Grades 2–12. However, content knowledge was consistently found to contribute substantially to test performance for low-ability-level test takers across all grade clusters. The findings indicate that EAP reading ability is a multidimensional construct in the onset of EAP reading ability development, but the presence of multidimensionality decreases as proficiency level and grade level increase. This study provides insights into the developmental pattern of the interplay between language and content in EAP reading contexts.

Comparing lexical bundle use in EAP reading textbooks to lower-division university textbooks

Abstract This study employed a corpus analysis to describe differences in lexical bundle patterns between English for academic purposes (EAP) reading textbooks and lower-division university textbooks by focusing on three characteristics: (1) the frequency of occurrence of bundles, (2) the frequency of bundle structures (e.g., phrasal vs. clausal), and (3) the frequency of bundle discourse functions (e.g., stance, discourse organizers, and referential; see Biber et al., 2004; Biber, 2006). Results revealed that the corpus representing lower-division university textbooks employed more passive bundles, intangible framing bundles, and text deixis bundles. On the other hand, the corpus representing EAP reading textbooks contained more prepositional phrase bundles, anticipatory it bundles, and place bundles. A qualitative comparison also revealed that quantity bundles in the corpus representing lower-division university textbooks made reference to technical and academic calculations. These results show how the communicative purposes of EAP reading textbooks differ from introductory university textbooks, which can be used to inform EAP reading instruction.

Reading habits of Vietnamese University English majors

Reading-comprehension abilities are inextricably linked to student success in academic contexts where reading serves as a primary means for conveying course content and displaying content learning (Anderson, 2015). The scarcity of studies on reading English for academic purposes in Vietnam, generally, and the reading habits of Vietnamese university students, more specifically, created the impetus for the research reported here. The study focused on the reading habits of Vietnamese university students in English-related majors, with particular attention paid to text medium (print/digital) and text language (Vietnamese/English) preferences. Data were collected with an online survey sent to a representative sampling of public universities across Vietnam. A total of 836 students, at 17 public universities, completed the survey. Findings provide an initial snapshot of Vietnamese university English majors’ reading habits. Of particular interest are how often students consult the Web to complete university assignments, despite their preference for print materials when reading for academic purposes; what challenges students encounter when reading on the Web; how much reading is assigned for university classes; and how reading habits change across years of study. Findings suggest numerous steps that can be taken to improve EAP reading instruction in Vietnam (and elsewhere).

Exploring teachers' practices and students' perceptions of the extensive reading approach in EAP reading classes

The ability to teach effectively relies on understanding both teachers' classroom practices and students' motivation (Grabe & Stoller, 2011). This study focuses on the extensive reading (ER) approach in the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) context. It explores two teachers' classroom practices and the impacts of these practices on their students' second language (L2) reading motivation and reading amount. A quantitative analysis indicates that the reading motivation of one of the classes significantly increased, particularly in regard to values of intrinsic motivation, while the students in the other classes read comparatively larger amount with less of reading motivation enhancement throughout the course. A qualitative analysis shows that specific elements of these teachers' practices (e.g., the ER classroom activities and the degree and type of teacher guidance) as well as inherent characteristics of ER (e.g., reading for enjoyment, and the benefits to language skills of extensive L2 reading) affected the students' motivation and the amount they read. The study concludes by discussing its findings' pedagogical implications for ER in EAP settings.

EAP Textbooks in Iranian Universities: The Subject of Pragmatic-Critical Spotlight

Increasingly indispensible inquiry for international academic communication has appointed English for Academic Purposes (EAP) as one of the prime focuses of university curriculum designers. The structure of EAP textbooks and numerous need analysis studies have approved reading comprehension as the students' predominant English need in Iranian universities; however, little collective critical research has appraised the implementation of reading pedagogy in EAP textbooks. As a response, the present study investigated the materialization of reading instruction via reading activities in 30 EAP textbooks published in Iran premised on Johns and Davies' (1983) transition of Text As a Linguistic Object (TALO) to Text As a Vehicle of Information (TAVI) in EAP reading in tandem with Jeremy Harmer's (2007) Reading Principles as its valorized analytical points of departure. Furthermore, this study advocated weak antitextbook approach that supports the functionality of textbooks provided that they pedagogically and methodologically appropriate for a target context. As a caution, the results revealed 3 fundamental Principles were not invoked at all and the other 3 were partially considered in design of the activities with grave inefficiencies, which culminated in a dissatisfactory realization of TAVI and incapability in realizing pragmatic objectives of EAP university courses. This revelation demonstrates a cardinal demand for revising EAP textbooks in Iran incorporating a critical stance for enlightening the path of curriculum designers and practitioners.

Iranian English for academic purposes (EAP) stakeholders' attitudes toward using the Internet in EAP courses for civil engineering students: promises and challenges

English for academic purposes (EAP) has established itself as a considerable part of English as a foreign language (EFL) instruction in Iranian universities. Considering the Internet as a major educational source in EAP reading courses, it is highly important that the stakeholders have positive attitudes toward it and be aware of promises and challenges. This study was conducted to investigate the participants' attitudes toward the Internet in EAP courses for undergraduate students of civil engineering (CE) in Iran. To this end, 723 undergraduate students, 67 EAP instructors and 105 CE instructors participated in the study. Instrumentation included a questionnaire, semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation. Our analysis of the data revealed that the majority of EAP instructors, CE instructors and undergraduate students have positive attitudes toward the Internet. However, the results showed that EAP instructors do not make use of any types of Internet-based activities in their classes. Moreover, the majority of limitations in using the Internet in EAP courses were identified. It is concluded that undergraduate students of CE need training in various Internet-based skills. The findings promise implications for renewing the EAP programs.

Exploring reading comprehension needs of Iranian EAP students of health information management (HIM): A triangulated approach

Abstract Discipline-based English for Academic Purposes (EAP) reading programs in Iran are designed to fill the gap between the students’ general English reading competence and their ability to read authentic discipline-specific texts. This study attempted to assess target and present reading comprehension needs of EAP students of Health Information Management (HIM) through a triangulated approach involving a wide range of sources and measures. Participants included content teachers ( N = 15), EAP teachers ( N = 10), graduate students ( N = 15), and undergraduate students ( N = 180) majoring in HIM at three major medical universities in Tehran, Iran. Instrumentation included four questionnaires, a General English Proficiency (GEP) test, self-assessment, semi-structured interviews, and non-participant observations. The results indicated that ‘skimming texts’, ‘using bilingual general dictionaries’, ‘scanning texts’, ‘knowledge of HIM terminologies’, ‘guessing meanings of words’, and ‘understanding main ideas’ were perceived as either ‘important’ or ‘very important’ to students’ success by all the participants. Also, our findings showed that undergraduate students’ GEP, in general, and reading comprehension, in particular, is lower than what is required in the EAP course. Implications of the study for improving EAP reading courses are presented.

Reading & writing

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Language learning

Language learning

Language learning

Language learning

Reading English for academic purposes – What situational factors may motivate learners to read?

This study, situated in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context where non-English major college learners are usually required to read content-area textbooks in English, tried to determine what motivates students to engage in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) reading activities. Three student informants were invited to reflect on their own EAP reading experiences and discuss pedagogical situations in which they were more willing to read. Then a questionnaire containing 18 statements describing various situations was constructed based on interviews with the student informants and data were collected from 212 college business majors. Descriptive statistics showed that learners were most willing to read under three circumstances: when (1) teachers were available to answer questions, (2) key points were highlighted clearly in textbooks, and (3) reading skills were taught. Factor analysis results presented three distinct clusters of variables, namely EFL teacher facilitation, reading requirements, and text facilitation. The three clusters of factors explained a total of 59% variance. Through learners’ indications of why they preferred specific content areas in EAP reading, background schema was also found to be an important factor influencing situational EAP reading motivation.

The factor structure of test task characteristics and examinee performance

The present study focuses on the task characteristics of reading passages and key sentences in a test of second language reading. Using a new methodological approach to describe variation in test task characteristics and explore how differences in these characteristics might relate to examinee performance, it posed the two following research questions: First, how do the characteristics of the texts used in a high-stakes test of English for Academic Purposes reading vary? Second, what relationships exist between its text characteristics and examinee performance? An expanded test task characteristics instrument was constructed, following Freedle and Kostin (1993) and Bachman et al. (1996), and adding a large number of syntactic features (Celce-Murcia and Larsen-Freeman, 1999). Ratings and numerical counts were compiled for three forms of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Reading Comprehension Section. Taking items as the object of measurement, the results were then used in a series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, along with IRT (item response theory) parameter estimates for the items in question.

The Compensatory Nature of Discipline‐Related Knowledge and English‐Language Proficiency in Reading English for Academic Purposes

The purpose of this study is twofold: first, to estimate the contribution of discipline‐related knowledge and English‐language proficiency to reading comprehension in English for academic purposes (EAP) and, second, to specify the levels at which the compensatory effect between the two variables takes place for successful EAP reading. The participants in the study were 380 native Spanish‐speaking undergraduates who exhibited a wide range of proficiency in English as a foreign language and knowledge of the topics being tested. Scores for the 3‐criterion variables (discipline‐related knowledge, English proficiency level, and academic reading) were subjected to 6 multiple regression analyses. The results indicated that English proficiency accounted for a range varying between 58% and 68% of EAP reading, whereas discipline‐related knowledge accounted for a range varying between 21% and 31%. The exact levels at which the compensatory effect between the two variables takes place for successful academic reading are provided, and pedagogical implications are suggested.

Learning Strategies in Reading and Writing: EAP Contexts

Presently, the importance of culture and context is becoming a significant feature of research in the field of learning strategies. To date, there has been little research into learning strategies utilized for reading and writing in Asian EAP (English for Academic Purposes) contexts, and in particular in the Thai context. With this in mind, this research investigated learning strategies employed by undergraduate students at a Thai university studying EAP reading and writing courses. The research aimed to identify the most frequently used strategies and different strategy use between ‘successful’ and ‘less successful’ learners. Learning strategies were classified following Oxford’s (1990) six category taxonomy and an additional category of negative strategies. The results revealed metacognitive, cognitive and compensation as the most frequently used strategies overall. Differences in strategy use for successful and less successful readers and writers were also demonstrated. A number of affective and social strategies were identified in the quantitative analysis which needed further investigation. Furthermore, various strategies investigated in earlier learner strategy research seemed, based on this research, to be culturally inappropriate in the Thai context.