Abstract
The presentation will report on an area of major concern in higher education: identifying tools to support the further development in the teaching and mapping of academic English language and study skills for international students (Turner, 2005). In recent years there has been a drift towards adopting a more specific subject-based approach to the teaching of English for academic purposes (Hyland & Hamp-Lyons, 2002). Supporting this approach, Hyland (2002 p.394) argues that “effective language teaching in the universities involves taking specificity seriously”. This means understanding the language used in specific academic contexts and organising the learning around subject specific, purposeful activities (Dudley-Evans and St John, 1998).
The presentation focuses on learning and teaching research initially developed through the APT award in 2005-06 entitled: ‘Contextualising Insessional Language and Study Skills Support for International and EU students in NBS’, which identified Contextualisation, Embedding and Mapping as key elements in delivering in-sessional language and study skills. Throughout 2005-07 the resulting CEM Model was piloted, researched and received positive feedback from both staff and students resulting in pedagogic changes to content and delivery of language and study skills. Such initiatives are re-enforcing and highlighting the importance of the transferability of students’ academic learning skills developed in the context of one module to others. In addition the research recognises that these developments are achieved via partnerships between the authors and informal relationships between the ASk specialist, specific Programme Directors, Programme Leaders and Module Tutors.
The authors' believe that for continued integration of student learning initiatives ASk now needs an underpinning strategic framework to support its delivery irrespective of personalities and individuals involved. The presentation will build on the positive internal and external response to the CEM Model received from conferences, presentations, staff development workshops, publications, and student feedback, through discussing the two key areas of sustainability and transferability of the CEM Model. Sustainability recognizes that in order to successfully maintain, develop and integrate the CEM Model as part of overall NBS school policy an established strategic platform would be required. Transferability responds to positive feedback supporting the need for dissemination of the work:
a) internally across the University as an exemplar for integrating insessional language and study skills support
b) to other added value services ie. information literacy
c) externally through promoting Northumbria teaching initiatives.
The presentation will therefore updates initial findings, and identify a provisional framework integrating ASk within PG programmes at the strategic level through Teaching and Learning policies and operational level through programme and module development.
Original language | English |
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Publication status | Published - Sept 2008 |
Event | Northumbria Conference 2008: A World of Difference? - Newcastle upon Tyne, UK Duration: 9 Sept 2008 → … |
Conference
Conference | Northumbria Conference 2008: A World of Difference? |
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Period | 9/09/08 → … |