Developing an English for Academic Purposes Course through Understanding Students' English Learning Experiences

Abstract

The presentation will discuss year-one undergraduate students’ diverse learning backgrounds in secondary school and how they may impact their English learning at university. It will also investigate students’ experience in an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course at the University of Hong Kong and their reflection on how the course helps them overcome the challenges in their adaptation to university studies. The research data revealed a clear gap between their writing skills learnt in secondary school and those required in university studies. Key learning aspects such as critical evaluation of ideas, synthesis of information from academic sources, concepts of citation and referencing and use of hedging devices seemed to be missing in their pre-university experiences and need strengthening in the EAP course. This research contributes to understanding English learners’ experiences in the transition from senior secondary English curriculum to university studies. The major pedagogical implication of this study is to provide useful data for English course developers in both secondary schools and universities to inform planning and development of curriculum for students with diverse needs. The research findings have great potential for being transferred to other Asian territories to benefit learners in our internationalized classrooms.