The first term at university: implications for EAP

• Autores: Stephen Evans, Bruce Morrison
• Localización: ELT journal: An international journal for teachers of English to speakers of other languages, ISSN 0951-0893, Vol. 65, Nº 4, 2011, págs. 387-397
• Idioma: inglés
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• Dialnet Métricas: 3 Citas
• Resumen

  • This article examines the findings of a longitudinal study of the learning and use of English at an English-medium university in Hong Kong. The aim of the investigation was to track the learning experiences of a group of 28 undergraduates and to identify the challenges they faced when studying for their degrees in a second language. This article explores the language-related problems the students encountered in the process of adapting to an English-medium learning environment during the crucial first term. The data from the interview-based longitudinal study are supplemented by the findings of a large-scale questionnaire survey of freshmen at the same university. The evidence suggests that the students� principal sources of difficulty were comprehending and using specialist vocabulary, understanding their professors� academic requirements, and processing and producing key disciplinary genres. The article concludes by discussing the implications of the study's findings for EAP course and materials design.