EAP and the idea of ESP courses integrated in an AIEP
As I explained previously, ESP is the name given to the large umbrella of English language courses for Special Purposes, and it can be divided into two parts: professional or academic. English for Academic Purposes (EAP) is the name usually given to general academic English courses, while ESP or ESAP is the term given to more specific English classes even within the EAP subset. This is where my interest lies and where I have the most experience. I teach ESL in an EAP program. Specifically, I teach in an AIEP dedicated to preparing students for university studies in English. It is a program that is an extension of the main four-year university and is the first stop for many international students whose English is not yet adequate for admission to a four-year university.
EAP programs can also be found at the four-year universities and are often required or offered during the first year of university with the goal of bringing international students up to speed in their particular area of expertise (Bosher, 2006; Feak & Reinhart, 2002; Tsou & Chen, 2013). What I propose, however, is to introduce ESP courses into AIEPs before students have started their first year at university.
Feak and Reinhart (2002) would agree with the idea of introducing ESP courses to students as soon as possible. They point out that students who have studied only in an EAP program in preparation for their university studies are “ill-equipped to address the very specific linguistic and cultural demands of law school” because the instruction of EAP programs is too general and broad (p. 7). This would suggest that students who have studied in an EAP program to linguistically prepare themselves for university in English, are still not ready for the specific demands of certain majors, such as law, and require an additional ESP course designed for law students in which they will be exposed to classroom activities, readings and vocabulary that they will encounter in their mainstream law courses at university. This is one reason why we can find ESP courses being offered with more frequency in the first year of university and the base of my argument for integrating ESP courses into AIEPs.
As an ESL educator in an AIEP, I see the value of such ESP programs and their great potential in this sector. As I previously mentioned, I have been teaching in an AIEP for over three years, and during that time I have asked myself how I can better serve my students. My students, who are all international students planning to attend an American university either at the undergraduate or graduate level, have very specific goals and needs. Our program prepares these students to be linguistically ready for university and all of its demands in general. They learn to write academic essays, read long and difficult passages, listen to long lectures, as well as converse about academic subjects, but the subjects discussed in their reading, writing or speaking class may or may not be pertinent to their major or their specific field. Consequently, students may not be linguistically ready for the language needed for their specific field. This fact brought me to question how ESP courses offered within an Academic Intensive English Program can help students in their language studies while further preparing them for academic success in their specific major at an American university.
There is no reason to make students wait to study English in their area of expertise until after they have already started university. They would be much better served if they were given the opportunity to study English within their field before beginning their university classes. By offering ESP courses in certain fields, such as science and technology, law, engineering and architecture to name a few, students would be given a sneak peak. In no way would they be completely prepared, but they would be exposed to different language and vocabulary that would make the transition to university easier. In addition, different online resources given to them and area-specific activities would be useful to them once they begin attending university. Not only will they be more prepared for the area-specific language they will inevitably encounter, but they will also have a better idea of what to expect when they arrive at university.
The difficult transition that international students experience when they begin to attend an American university should not be overlooked. International students in university face many challenges as they try to adjust to university in another country, and experience culture shock as well (Zhou, Jindal-Snape, Topping & Todman, 2008). In addition to the culture shock that they all experience, they can also experience great difficulty because of the academic challenges they face. If students have seen a glimpse of what will be expected of them and have an insight into the types of readings and their linguistic difficulty, they will ease into university life with less stress and fear. It is for these reasons that I suggest that ESP courses be offered at AIEPs during the preparation phase of these international students.
Copyright © December 2015 by Abby Burgoyne
EAP programs can also be found at the four-year universities and are often required or offered during the first year of university with the goal of bringing international students up to speed in their particular area of expertise (Bosher, 2006; Feak & Reinhart, 2002; Tsou & Chen, 2013). What I propose, however, is to introduce ESP courses into AIEPs before students have started their first year at university.
Feak and Reinhart (2002) would agree with the idea of introducing ESP courses to students as soon as possible. They point out that students who have studied only in an EAP program in preparation for their university studies are “ill-equipped to address the very specific linguistic and cultural demands of law school” because the instruction of EAP programs is too general and broad (p. 7). This would suggest that students who have studied in an EAP program to linguistically prepare themselves for university in English, are still not ready for the specific demands of certain majors, such as law, and require an additional ESP course designed for law students in which they will be exposed to classroom activities, readings and vocabulary that they will encounter in their mainstream law courses at university. This is one reason why we can find ESP courses being offered with more frequency in the first year of university and the base of my argument for integrating ESP courses into AIEPs.
As an ESL educator in an AIEP, I see the value of such ESP programs and their great potential in this sector. As I previously mentioned, I have been teaching in an AIEP for over three years, and during that time I have asked myself how I can better serve my students. My students, who are all international students planning to attend an American university either at the undergraduate or graduate level, have very specific goals and needs. Our program prepares these students to be linguistically ready for university and all of its demands in general. They learn to write academic essays, read long and difficult passages, listen to long lectures, as well as converse about academic subjects, but the subjects discussed in their reading, writing or speaking class may or may not be pertinent to their major or their specific field. Consequently, students may not be linguistically ready for the language needed for their specific field. This fact brought me to question how ESP courses offered within an Academic Intensive English Program can help students in their language studies while further preparing them for academic success in their specific major at an American university.
There is no reason to make students wait to study English in their area of expertise until after they have already started university. They would be much better served if they were given the opportunity to study English within their field before beginning their university classes. By offering ESP courses in certain fields, such as science and technology, law, engineering and architecture to name a few, students would be given a sneak peak. In no way would they be completely prepared, but they would be exposed to different language and vocabulary that would make the transition to university easier. In addition, different online resources given to them and area-specific activities would be useful to them once they begin attending university. Not only will they be more prepared for the area-specific language they will inevitably encounter, but they will also have a better idea of what to expect when they arrive at university.
The difficult transition that international students experience when they begin to attend an American university should not be overlooked. International students in university face many challenges as they try to adjust to university in another country, and experience culture shock as well (Zhou, Jindal-Snape, Topping & Todman, 2008). In addition to the culture shock that they all experience, they can also experience great difficulty because of the academic challenges they face. If students have seen a glimpse of what will be expected of them and have an insight into the types of readings and their linguistic difficulty, they will ease into university life with less stress and fear. It is for these reasons that I suggest that ESP courses be offered at AIEPs during the preparation phase of these international students.
Copyright © December 2015 by Abby Burgoyne