christopher graham academic english
TRANSCRIPT
EAP & ESP
MAKING ACADEMIC ENGLISH DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC.
Christopher GrahamGarnet Education, UK
What is EAP ?
........ and what should an EAP course cover ?
Let’s take a traditional skills-based approach.
ListeningSpeakingReadingWriting
So what are the sub-skills for each of these ?
Listening
Preparing for a lecture
Predicting lecture content
Understanding lecture organisation
Choosing the best form of notes
Making notes
Listening 2
Signpost language
Symbols and abbreviations in note taking
Understanding speaker emphasis
Recognising digressions
Recognising a stance
Speaking
Speaking from notes
Reporting research findings
Formulating questions Formal academic presentation skills
Speaking 2
Seminar skills:
Asking for clarification
Responding to requests for clarification
Referring to other people’s work in seminars
Building an argument in a seminar
Agreeing and disagreeing
Reading
Using ‘internal’ questions to focus on contentUsing topic sentencesIdentifying topic development Using the internetUsing internet search results
Reading 2
Finding key information in complex sentences
Identifying confidence or tentativeness
Inferring implicit ideas
Understanding linkage in a text
Writing
Writing topic sentences
Summarising a text
Reporting findings from other sources
Avoiding plagiarism
Writing complex sentences
Paraphrasing
Expanding notes into sentences
Writing 2
Different types of essays – descriptive/analytical/comparison/evaluation/argument
Using direct quotationsCompiling bibliographies and references Writing essay plansWriting essaysDirect quotation vs. paraphraseIncorporating quotations Writing research reports
A few observations and questions
Most of the above have sub skills sets too.
These are general EAP skills of course, so how can we make them discipline-specific ?
Vocabulary
The (relatively) easy one. AcademicSemi-technicalTechnical.
The Context
All sample texts, recordings, practice situations can be made discipline-specific.
The Skills
ListeningSpeakingReadingWriting
Listening
The amount of lecture content in a typical programme. In other words is the course more lecture or seminar led ?
The content – for example is the focus on statistical data or more on ideas ?
Is the listening process more or less interactive ? What visual support might be used in lectures ? Is there generally pre or post lecture reading ? Is lecturer stance more or less of an issue ?
Speaking
What is the most common format ? Seminar, presentation, thesis defence, questioning within lectures etc.
Are there any discipline-specific conventions or formalities in for example group discussions ?
What is the general style of the spoken English ? Is it reporting, analytical, creative, challenging etc.
How are academic presentations perceived and managed ? Think about length, structure, question policy, the level of challenge.
Reading
How much reading is there ?What is read ? Papers, books, websites,
manuals, journals etcHow quickly ?What discipline-specific content is there e.g.
statistical data, complex philosophical arguments or case studies?
What level of comprehension is needed/what other conceptual reinforcement is there ?
Writing
How much writing is there ?What is written e.g. theses, essays, lab reports,
lit. crit. etc.What discipline-specific linguistic content is
there ? The passive for lab reports for example.
What stylistic issues are there ? Such as discursive or descriptive text ?
How critical is accuracy ?
A word about Garnet.
The background
The books
Product Confrontation