Academic English Teaching Research Articles

A Research on Academic English Teaching Mode From the Perspective of CBI

A Research on Academic English Teaching Mode From the Perspective of CBI

Exploring the Integration of Corpus-Based and Multimodal Approaches in Academic English Instruction

With the comprehensive advancement of English teaching reforms, the integration of corpus-based methods and the utilization of multimodal educational approaches have emerged as a new developmental trend, aiming to further elevate the quality of academic English instruction. The combination of these two approaches offers an effective means to rectify the various shortcomings present in traditional academic English teaching, consequently enhancing classroom instruction. This paper provides an analysis of the current research landscape and practical application strategies while elucidating the corpus-based multimodal model for academic English instruction.

Student-Centered Strategy in Academic English Teaching

Student-Centered Strategy in Academic English Teaching

Advancing Graduate Academic English Teaching: Analyzing Lexical Bundles in Photonics Research Article Abstracts

This study presents a streamlined approach to assembling a list of commonly used English phrases from abstracts in top photonics journals, aimed at enhancing academic English writing courses for graduate students. The process involved compiling a corpus of 400 recently published abstracts from leading journals in the field. Subsequently, a corpus analysis tool was employed to identify and assess lexical bundles, which are a type of formulaic language, for their educational significance and communication functions. The result is a refined list of lexical bundles, each correlated with its primary function in academic discourse. This research offers a straightforward and efficient method for developing a discipline-specific vocabulary for academic English writing instruction at the graduate level.

An Empirical Study on Convergent Teaching of Academic English and General English in the Internet Era

Abstract In this paper, we first use Hamming distance to mine students’ English achievement, construct the data matrix to get the English achievement, and analyze the standard deviation of each row and column in the matrix to get the similarity and the degree of dispersion among the students’ accomplishments. The BGLL algorithm is used to analyze achievement data by clustering. The modularity of the data calculated by clustering is applied to the weighted graph to obtain the results of achievement clustering analysis. By analyzing the effect of the fusion teaching mode of academic English and general English after practice, it was found that the English reading and speaking scores of the students in the experimental class improved significantly. There was a significant difference between the reading posttest scores of the experimental class and those of the control class (p =0.002<0. 05), with a difference of nearly 10 points in the average scores. The student’s awareness score of the importance of English learning after teaching practice reached 4.308, the attitude score of English learning motivation averaged about 3.192, and the student’s knowledge and understanding of English teaching objectives were also more precise, with a mean value of 3.399. The application effect of the integrated English teaching model proposed in this paper is excellent, which lays the foundation for the integrated teaching of academic English and general English, and also provides reference data for the application of the teaching model in the future.

Contrastive Study of Lexical Profiles of International and U.S. Lectures Delivered in English

International academic contexts where English is used as a lingua franca (ELF) have become ubiquitous. ELF lectures have been studied from a number of perspectives, but they have not been lexically profiled. We depart from the assumption that the lexical profile of academic lectures delivered in international settings may differ from that of lectures delivered in Anglophone contexts, and that these differences have pedagogical implications for the teaching and learning of academic English from an ELF-perspective. We lexically profile a corpus of fifty university lectures delivered in English in five European countries and compare them against sixty-two lectures delivered in English in the U.S. We find that 3,000 words are needed for good listening comprehension in both sets of lectures, while ideal comprehension is reached at 11,000 words for international and 7,000 words for U.S. lectures, which suggests differences between the two in terms of variation in low-frequency vocabulary. Some function words are much more frequent in international than in U.S. lectures. International lectures also feature less high-frequency and more mid-frequency academic vocabulary than U.S. lectures. These differences mostly reflect the use of ELF-specific communicative strategies in international lectures. Focusing on them and potentially making academic ELF-specific word lists may ensure the more efficient teaching of academic English from an ELF-perspective.

Review of EAP Talk

Abstract This technological tool review aims to provide a brief overview of EAP Talk, an artificial intelligence (AI) English speech assessment platform, outlining its various evaluation features, highlighting the advantages of each function, illustrating its potential for academic English teaching and proposing critical evaluations and suggestions for its upgradeable components. More importantly, this review strives to offer a user guide of experimental tools for related empirical research and explores its feasibility for lessening teacher workload and promoting independent learning among students in the age of AI.

Variation in metadiscourse verb patterns in English academic papers from intra- and interdisciplinary analysis

Abstract The study of metadiscourse word resources is an important way to reveal academic knowledge constructs and genre features in English papers. This paper selects intra- and interdisciplinary English academic papers as data samples, and the text representation is based on the vector space model. The text similarity is calculated using the word movement distance model to complete the clustering based on the density peak, and then the semantic annotation of metadiscourse verb patterns is performed using the conditional random field. Then, the intra- and interdisciplinary metadiscourse annotations are compared to analyze the variation of verb patterns. The intra-disciplinary variation of metadiscourse verb patterns was mainly found using attitude markers, where the log-likelihood ratios of 48.56, 30.25, and 35.64 were obtained for affirmative, critical, and critical declarative attitudes, respectively. In interdisciplinary studies, basic disciplines preferred to use verb patterns as transitions, while applied disciplines preferred to express the author’s point of view. The study of metadiscourse verb patterns effectively enriches the linguistic resources in academic English teaching and deepens the understanding of the characteristics of disciplinary essay genres.

Study on the Construction and Application of Multimodal Academic English Teaching Model Based on Corpus

Study on the Construction and Application of Multimodal Academic English Teaching Model Based on Corpus

Research on the Teaching Effect of General Academic English Course in NCEPU from the Perspective of PCT

General academic English has been attached greater importance in higher education in China. This paper focuses on the teaching effect of general academic English in North China Electric Power University（Baoding）from the perspective of PCT（Projects+Cases+Texts）. Through the analysis of students’ questionnaire and interview, it is proved that PCT is an effective way in general academic English teaching. This paper aims to provide practical experience for the further development of general academic English curriculum.

Technology of problem-based teaching of academic English for chemists in the system of additional education

The aim of the article is to consider the features of additional education for adults, to research the main problems that arise in the training of adult chemists, and to substantiate the choice for further study and modernization of the problem-based learning technology.
 The article discusses the features of adult education, the specifics of the system of additional education, and substantiates the choice of a system of additional education for adult education.
 The authors substantiate the choice of problem-based learning technology for subsequent modernization and implementation in the system of distance learning of adults in academic English.
 The results are the following: the problem-based learning technology to effective use in adult chemists teaching in the system of additional education was substantiated; the problem-based learning technology can be successfully upgraded for these conditions

Spacious Grammar: Agency and Intention in the Teaching of Research Writing

Standardized academic English is now understood to be rooted in histories and practices that are colonial, classist, nationalist, heteronormative, ableist, and sexist. Current teaching of academic English carries an ethos of making practices of research writing accessible to students from marginalized backgrounds through explicit attention to language patterns and genre structures. In the context of both ideological critique and explicit pedagogy, I discuss three pragmatic elements of research writing—positionality, citation, and evaluation—with examples from one of my courses. I present these elements and my approach to teaching them as a practice that is attentive to both details of published scholarship and students’ agency and intentionality in shaping their own writing projects, claims, and arguments. My work is framed by a functional approach to grammar where grammar is not interesting as a standardized apparatus but as a code that provides a range of options for producing performative effects. I call this spacious grammar.

From General English to General Academic English：Challenges and Strategies for College English Teachers in China

With the popularity of international communication and cooperation, the transformation from general English to general academic English has become an inevitable trend in college English teaching in China. The transformation poses challenges for college English teachers, including the lack of interdisciplinary knowledge, limited general academic English teaching ability and evaluation ability. Accordingly, various measures can be taken to deal with the challenges, such as expanding the interdisciplinary knowledge, establishing the teaching community and reforming the evaluation means. These strategies are intended to construct the harmonious education ecology in college to promote the transformation and development of college English teachers.

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.

A Study on the Background and Process of Postgraduates’ Academic English Learning in China

In order to provide reference for postgraduate academic English teaching in China, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive survey in learning background and process before learners go to the graduate school. This study focuses on the academic English course for postgraduates in a key university of China, and the in-depth investigation was carried out from the aspects of students’ majors, graduation colleges, English learning foundation, learning attitudes, English learning and especially academic English learning experience, motivation and knowledge of academic English learning. The triangulation combining the quantitative method and qualitative method was used to analyze the research data. The results shows that the English learners have weak academic English foundation but strong English learning motivation and employ single English learning strategy. The learners reported the effective learning methods of academic English from two aspects: basic English learning skills and academic English learning ability. Accordingly, how to develop the teaching model, carry out the teaching process and define the teaching content are discussed in this research.

The Application of a Mixed Teaching Model to the Academic English Teaching for Graduate Students at Inner Mongolia University

This paper explores the application of a mixed teaching model of Task-Based Learning (TBL), Collaborative-Inquiry Model (CIM) and MOOCs to the academic English teaching for graduate students at Inner Mongolia University, China. Teaching tasks of eight units are assigned for students to learn through the online course on MOOC in advance. Graduate students are grouped to work and cooperate with one another to complete the presentations of their learning results. A five-year teaching practice indicates that 1) graduate students appear more active in class than students taught in traditional class; 2) the writing quality of abstracts is greatly improved through the cooperative learning pattern; 3) students show more satisfaction for the course than ever before regarding the teacher’s help for their academic activities. The application of the new teaching model has not only benefited the Inner Mongolia University (IMU) students, but also set up a pioneering example in teaching reform for graduate students and provided valuable experiences for other universities in ethnic areas.

Chinese MA Student Writers’ Identity Construction in Citation Practices1

Abstract Based on Burgess and Ivanič’s (2010) framework of the discoursal construction of writer identity, this paper explores the interaction between citation practices and identity construction in Chinese EFL learners’ MA thesis writing. A mixed approach of textual analysis and interviews was adopted to examine the citation features of MA theses and the identities Chinese EFL learners constructed through citation selection. It was found that students’ selection of citations reflects their linguistic identity, academic and disciplinary identity, as well as novice identity. Their citation practices project different discursive selves to readers. By adjusting the number and relevance of references, they intend to construct a knowledgeable and credible self. The use of ineffective citations and references not only projects an unfavorable impression on readers but reflects a lack of authorial identity. This study has significant implications for the teaching of academic English and the supervision of thesis writing.

A quantitative analysis of collocations in Brazilian and British students’ academic writing

A língua é formulaica por natureza, o que significa que a redação adequada vai além do conhecimento de palavras isoladas. O objetivo deste artigo é analisar a diferença quantitativa do uso de colocações da Academic Collocation List (ACL) em dois corpora acadêmicos, o British Academic Written English (BAWE) e o Brazilian Academic Written English (BrAWE). Para realizar essa análise, utilizamos a Linguística de Corpus como metodologia. Os resultados apontam que poucas colocações do ACL se mostraram estatisticamente significativas quando investigamos o corpus BrAWE em comparação com o BAWE, indicando que os brasileiros utilizam as colocações acadêmicas de forma adequada quando comparados aos britânicos. Esta pesquisa ressalta a importância do foco em colocações nos contextos de ensino de inglês acadêmico, uma vez que elas ajudam a garantir a convencionalidade no uso da língua. Além disso, observamos que britânicos e brasileiros usam colocações acadêmicas que não estão necessariamente presentes na ACL, sugerindo um possível descompasso entre o que é prescrito e o que é realmente usado na linguagem autêntica.

Academic English as a Component of Curriculum For ESL Students (Foreign Experience)

AbstractIt has been substantiated that Academic English must be an integral component of ESL students’ study at foreign languages departments to achieve success as professionals and be ready to realize themselves in a demanding world of today. We have defined the main problem on the way to it, namely the insufficient provision of the Academic English discipline in curricula of foreign language departments or its absence. The necessity to elaborate a syllabus for Academic English discipline being taught throughout all the course of study has been substantiated. Educational programs of Academic English in a number of foreign educational establishments of Great Britain, the USA, Canada and Australia have been analyzed and their defining features have been outlined. Strategies and conditions for effective teaching of Academic English have been characterized. It has been defined that in general, in spite of slight differences in the topics covered by different EAP programs, all of them are aimed at: developing strategies and vocabulary for reading and understanding academic texts; finding, understanding, describing and evaluating information for academic purposes; developing active listening and effective note-taking skills; building on language skills to describe problems and cause-and-effect; gathering a range of information, using the skills learned, to integrate it into a written report; engaging in peer-to-peer feedback before finalising one’s piece of academic work. Requirements for students’ achievements at the end of the course have been determined. As a basis for Academic English syllabus elaboration has been chosen a course by M. Hewings and C. Thaine (upper-intermediate and advanced levels). On its basis we have defined units to be covered by the course as well as skills to be developed. Recommendations as to better and more efficient teaching of the discipline have been outlined.

Aspects of using dictionaries in the process of academic English teaching and acquisition

In the article, the linguistic characteristics of academic English are considered. The vocabulary and genres of academic English are addressed. The types of dictionaries currently available to university students are defined. It is established that academic language is linguistically diverse across discourses, genres, and disciplines. The variations in academic language demand a range of linguistic skills from students. Learners therefore need access to language tools, notably dictionaries, in their studies. The analysis of the respective dictionaries demonstrates that none of them is suitable for academic English acquisition. They are too comprehensive in coverage, contain linguistically demanding definitions and offer little encoding information. A need for dictionaries that would meet the students’ demands is defined.