Resumen de The first term at university: implications for EAP
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.
