Student S Language In Academic Contexts example essay topic

Students studying at IEN are those who have received 9 years of compulsory education and 3 years in senior high school or vocational school. Most of them have learned English for around six years. The following are the statistics of the students! language level based on their results in the National Examinations for College, English Section and the placement test at IEN English Nanjing. Statistics of Students!

Results in National Examinations for College English Section Source: Statistics of Students! enrolment Notes: 1. The full score of the test is 150.2. The total number of the students of the statistics is 84.3. The test took place in June 2003 4. The passing score is 90 Statistics on Students! Overall Level in IEN English Placement Test September 2003 Source: The Results of Students!

Placement Test, Sept. 2003 Notes: 1. The overall level is based on evaluation of the results in speaking, listening, reading and writing assessments 2. The total number of the students taking part in the placement test is 108 As you can see from the statistics in the above diagrams, the students!

English proficiency level at their entrance is quite low. A majority of the students have got failure experience in their English studies and the reason for that is complicated. To help the students rebuild confidence in language studies and improve their language ability as soon as possible. There are three things, which will be very necessary and helpful. Firstly, teachers should organize activities suitable for them to fulfill so that they could neglect their failure experience in the past and will enjoy the achievement, which will facilitate their motivated studies. Secondly, since the students lack motivation and persistence in language learning due pressure on the students is necessary.

Finally, before we start the course it is worthwhile introducing to the students the course pathways and the aim of each of the courses delivered at IEN English. In this way the students will feel that those being taught are personally relevant to their needs and they will certainly emotionally engage themselves in it. As to the needs of the students at IEN they could be categorized into five kinds of goals as follows. Develop Communication Skills One of the major purposes of the English language studies at IEN English is to improve communication skills, especially at the stage of General English. This module of English study is mainly for acquiring the language competencies for surviving in an English-speaking country. The learning goal of most of the students at IEN is oriented towards living and studying abroad.

To survive overseas, students need adequate communication skills in various contexts like on campus or in the community? To fulfill these leaning objectives, the students are offered General English course where they are trained with both language and skills in daily life situations. The course itself is task based and so students are exposed to real life situations. They are requested to accomplish something by communicating with other students or teacher, cooperating with others in solving a specific problems or searching for information using the English language. The role-play activity is frequently used as a method to organize such a communication skill practices. Sometimes students will act as an international student and the academic advisor talking about the course selection, in which they will be trained to be able to provide information about education background on official forms and to be able to understand main idea in advertisements and brochures describing educational opportunities; sometimes they are requested to search for something like be able to use TV guides, movie guides and entertainment guide to locate time, place, channel etc.

From the above examples, we could find that the material we use occurs as is understood in context. And the students really can be motivated to communicate and get a general idea about the life and communication approaches used in English speaking countries. The students will have to really understand the material where the authentic language is being used with few modifications in order to be appropriate for the student!'s language proficiency level before they can successfully handle the tasks. Of course a demonstration is usually necessary for the students as to on one hand show them how the language is used in real life contexts and on the other hand have their listening reading skills practiced. Develop academic skills in order to get prepared for the diploma course at home and the degree course overseas The course at the second stage of English studies is EAP course (English for Academic Purposes) where the necessary academic skills are trained before they take the diploma course in China and degree course overseas. In the EAP course students are required to do various kinds of tasks concerned with academic studies in an English-speaking university.

They will get some knowledge about the construction of a paragraph before they are trained to writing a text or a report and guidance in writing a thesis is also offered in the EAP diploma course, There are several academic activities, which are frequently applied at IEN in order to develop student!'s learning skills in academic environment. We organize group discussion in class when the students are divided into several groups. And the group member will exchange their ideas about a given topic. Sometimes we will help the students to do presentation. That is a work done individually and students could go to their teacher for help or search for the relevant information on the Internet. Another speaking activity in class is seminar.

Students will be given a topic and they will do the research after class. They will search for the reference materials in the library or on the Internet. Usually a research report is also requested and must be finished in academic way e.g. there must be a complete list of sources. When they do these academic tasks they use the English language to collect information, to get involved in a discussion and to write about what they have observed and thought of. And the teachers who have got much experience in studying in an English-speaking university will offer guidance and help.

The student!'s language in academic contexts will be developed naturally and quickly. After the students finish EAP course successfully they will reach the goals listed in acl English syllabus as the following. 1. Can use a range of learning strategies appropriate to Australian learning institutions 2. Can understand and participate in a range of spoken texts appropriate to the academic context 3. Can understand and critically evaluate a range of written texts for the academic contexts 4.

Can produce a range of written texts for the academic contexts Be successful in IELTS exam (International English Language Testing System) The direct purpose of language learning for the students at IEN is to be successful in the IELTS test, which will decide whether they could go abroad to study. (It is known that 5.0 is the pre-requisite for visa applications and 6.0~6.5 is usually the entrance requirements for most of the BA course in Australian universities.) There is no IELTS course at IEN English (course structure at IEN English, Nanjing). The practice on IELTS exam has been integrated into the course delivery in the following aspects. 1. Broaden the topics in both general English contexts and academic contexts In the general and academic English courses students are given broad variety of topics on which they will listen and read first to get familiar with the vocabulary and language structure.

And then they will talk and write on the topic. 2. Writing guidance offered in EAP course In EAP course lots of guidance is offered to assisting the students to develop writing skills. The tasks range from writing a paragraph to composing an essay to describe comparison and contrast or to explain the cause and effect. 3. Self-learning access Since most of the time in class is spent in assisting students in speaking and writing while listening and reading is mostly done by students themselves.

In this case, a computer lab where self-learning access is available is of much importance. IELTS listening practice material is installed as shared files in the lab and Internet is open to the students so that they could read newspapers and books in English online. 4. Assessment in IELTS format We try to organize every test in the IELTS format.

For instance, we interview students in the same procedures as the IELTS does and we evaluate students! language proficiency by level indications rather than score so it is easier to guide the students in their preparations for the IELTS test. ESP (English for Specific Purpose) for professional study The students! success in their studies overseas depends not only upon their language competencies but also on their knowledge of the filed they are going to be studying. They are going to do more research work than they did in China. In this case, their pre-knowledge of the course in the English language will play a key role in the success of overseas study. If time allowed the students will be offered ESP course like English for Business or English for Information Technology. The purpose of the course is to let the students get used to the text style and genre of the academic discourse and command some of the academic terms.

Pass the College English Test (CET) for Further Study in China Although it is not the major purpose of IEN English, yet the teaching of IEN English has great influence on students! results in national exams such as CET-4/CET-6 test. The support offered by IEN English for the test is mainly on grammar and vocabulary. It provides the students with opportunities to know how the grammar and vocabulary is used in the proper contexts. Bibliography Jeremy Harmer 2001 The Practice of English Language Teaching, Third Edition Longman, General English Syllabus Version 2 acl Pty Ltd EAP Syllabus 2001 acl Pty Ltd

Bibliography

Jeremy Harmer 2001 The Practice of English Language Teaching, Third Edition Longman, General English Syllabus Version 2 acl Pty Ltd EAP Syllabus 2001 acl Pty Ltd.