John Harper
Duke Kunshan University

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Criteria for Selecting Instructors of English for Academic Purposes Courses: What Do Students Look for? John Harper; Shang Li
Journal of English Language Teaching and Linguistics Journal of English Language Teaching and Linguistics, 6(2), August 2021
Publisher : Yayasan Visi Intan Permata

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.21462/jeltl.v6i2.603

Abstract

Seeking to provide insight into the role that English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses play in China’s growing number of joint-venture universities (JVUs), this article reports on a study of the factors that motivate students’ selection of instructors for such courses. The study reports on three stages of the investigation: (1) a preliminary, online tapping of learners’ motives in EAP instructor selection, (2) a survey, based on the findings of Stage 1, in which past EAP students ranked qualities most and least desired of EAP instructors, (3) focus-group discussions (FGDs), based on the survey of Stage 2, in which past EAP students commented on the qualities that they most and least desired of EAP instructors. Survey results are grouped into the top three, bottom three, and middle three; survey results are analyzed in light of FGDs, with discrepancies between the two being acknowledged and interpreted. Three overarching pedagogical implications are presented: (1) the need of a sense of community in EAP courses, (2) the need of transparency in EAP courses, and (3) the perception of EAP instructors as first and foremost classroom teachers. Limitations of the study are duly noted.
EAP Courses in Joint-Venture Institutions: A Needs Analysis Based on Learner Perceptions John Harper; Yachao Sun
IJELTAL (Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics) Vol 7, No 1 (2022): Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics
Publisher : Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Aji Muhammad Idris Samarinda

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.21093/ijeltal.v7i1.1282

Abstract

With the increase in English medium instruction (EMI) in non-English-speaking countries, the role of EAP in preparing learners for the academic tasks that they will face is enhanced. Joint-venture universities (JVUs), institutions formed in collaboration between foreign universities and universities in the host country, pose even greater challenges for EAP programs. Learners in JVUs are expected to meet the requirements of the collaborating institution while simultaneously developing skills in an additional language. Critical to the success of EAP programs in JVUs, then, is the careful analysis of learners’ needs and wants. The present study aims to provide insights into the needs and wants of EAP students at a China-based JVU by focusing on the perceptions of learners who have completed their EAP studies. Data were obtained through a narrative research method based on semi-structured interviews with 16 former EAP students and compared with stated program goals in an effort to discover areas in which students’ perceptions aligned or did not align with program goals. The paper presents cases of alignment and cases of mismatches. An analysis of the mismatches leads to the following pedagogical implications for EMI programs in JVUs: (1) Programs may better cater to learners’ interests by implementing a semi-negotiated curriculum; (2) programs may better cater to learners’ discipline-specific needs by providing broad writing topics for learners to refine in accordance with their particular disciplines; (3) programs may better promote the integration of EAP students and international students by consciously providing the initial “push” toward integration
Using Byram’s Savoirs to Ensure the Incorporation of Intercultural Communicative Competence into Language Teaching John Harper
Journal of English Language Teaching and Linguistics Journal of English Language Teaching and Linguistics, 8(2), August 2023
Publisher : Yayasan Visi Intan Permata

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.21462/jeltl.v8i2.1131

Abstract

Although the term “intercultural communicative competence” (ICC) is often used in academic literature, studies indicate that the ICC element is often not included in the actual teaching practices of tertiary institutions. Due to the lack of ICC instruction across the curriculum, foreign language (FL) courses seem to stand out as logical sites for instruction in ICC. FL instructors, however, are not necessarily trained in matters of ICC, and the standard default method of acquiring ICC outside the language class (i.e., study abroad) is clearly not available to all students. In a global society, ICC is relevant for all students. This paper uses Byram’s 1997 savoirs (i.e., competences desirable of the “intercultural speaker”) as a starting point to provide evidence of tried and tested FL teaching practices that reveal ways in which ICC instruction may be incorporated into FL courses even in academic environments in which direct intercultural contact is unlikely. While recognizing the obstacles of teaching ICC in such environments, the study reveals that the inclusion of ICC is not only possible but necessary in them.