English for Academic Purposes (EAP): enabling non-1st English

language international student engagement in Higher Education

Sue HackettValidation of English Language Education & Transnational Programmes, QQI

HEA QQI Conference, Dec 11th 2017

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INTRODUCTION

1. English for Academic Purposes – what is it?2. Opportunities (and challenges)3. The international student – what do they

think is important?4. Academic literacies5. Any questions?

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‘The future of (global) higher education will depend on successful, sustainable, mutually beneficial partnerships and collaboration, not just in a single area (such as student mobility) but a holistic approach that facilitates

- Mobility (of students, staff and researchers as well as qualifications and institutions)

- Shared teaching and delivery partnerships

- Research collaborations’British Council IHE Report: The Shape of Global Higher Education: National Policies for International Engagement 2017

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Pre-sessional and in-sessional ….

• Eligibility requirements- proficiency exam scores, e.g. TOEFL, PTE

Academic, IELTS Academic

- pre-sessional supports

• In-sessional supports- for students

- for academic staff

= EAP/ EPP competence graduate5

‘The teaching of English with the

specific aim of helping learners to study, conduct research or teach in English-medium contexts.’ Flowerdew J, & Peacock ,2001

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EAP is ….

Not centrally focused on general English proficiency development

BUT

Focused on the processing and creation of English as it is used in academic contexts… ‘with the teacher facilitating students’ participation in the academic world.’

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HE EAP provision

Support service? Research-informedacademic subject?

- commodified - integral HEI unit

- servicing function - informed by research

- similar to other HEI - part of academia support services - teacher as academic

- teacher as technician staff- non-academic status - synergistic & - ‘cash cow’ collaborative

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language skills knowledge of language communication skills

genre (text types &features)

interactionalstudy skills transactional, & strategies & mediation skills

target (discourse) intercultural understandingcommunity needs awareness of target learning culture

Academic literacy includes …..

Trans-national educationCouncil of Europe 2002, Code of Good Practice in the Provision of TNE

‘the learners are located in a country different from the one where the awarding body is based.’

ESG 2015 ‘… apply to all higher education offered in the EHEA regardless of the mode of study or place of delivery. Thus, the ESG are also applicable to all higher education including transnational and cross-border provision.’

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Employability – what are employers looking for from graduates?

1 Good communication skills

2 Problem-solving skills

3 Innovative approach

4 Qualifications and professional expertise

5 Team work

1 Source: Inside India, Education Intelligence, British Council 2013

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Awards standards: For Pre-higher education foundation awards for international students at NFQ Levels 5 (UG) and 8 (PG)http://www.qqi.ie/Publications/IFY%20Standards%20%20201115-LR3.pdf

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Questions ….

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ReferencesBritish Association of Lecturers in English for Academic Purposes (BALEAP) www.baleap.org

British Council Education Intelligence, June 2017 10 trends: transformative changes in Higher Education

British Council, 2017 The Shape of Global Higher Education: National Policies for International Engagement

Ding, A. & Bruce, I. 2017, The English for academic purposes practitioner: operating on the edge of academia. Cham: Springer International

Fulcher G, 2009, The Commercialisation of Language Provision at University, in Alderson J C, (Ed), The Politics of Education: Individuals and Institutions, Multilingual Matters

Gillett, A. J. (2009). What is EAP?, in Brandt C (Ed) Read, Research and Write: Academic Skills for ESL Students in Higher Education, Sage

Irish Educated, Globally Connected: an international education strategy for Ireland, 2016-2020, 2016, Dept of Education & Skills 2016

Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG). (2015). Brussels, Belgium

OECD/ UNESCO, 2006, Bucharest Declaration concerning Ethical Values & Principles for HE in the EU Region

Weideman A 2014 Academic Literacy: why is it important? Introduction to Weideman & Van Dyk (Eds) Academic Literacy: test your competence, Bloemfontein: Geronimo, pii-ix

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