This article explores the affordances of experiential learning framed within two college-level English for academic purposes (EAP) courses at a Sino-U.S. university in China. By adopting a four-phase experiential learning model, the two authors provide rich descriptions of their experiential learning project design and implementation and discuss how the experiential components enhanced students’ academic English learning experiences and stimulated interest of field-specific subject areas. The authors argue that despite some challenges in carrying out experiential projects, students were able to develop language skills and acculturate to academic practices of the university through the phases of the experiential cycle. Additionally, the authors highlight the potential of experiential learning and teaching to transform EAP curriculum design. This article was published open access under a CC BY-NC-ND licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
English for academic purposes (EAP) courses improve English academic skills, build learner confidence, and prepare students for future academic success (Zou & Jiang, 2021). To be successful post-EAP, these skills must transfer to other learning contexts (James, 2023; 2025; Perkins & Salomon, 1992). Yet, whether this occurs is not well understood (Green, 2015; James, 2023; 2025; Larsen-Freeman, 2013: Monbec, 2020). This exploratory study surveyed ninety-five EAP students from a Canadian university over six semesters to understand which skills learned in advanced EAP courses transferred to disciplinary courses. Results show that students perceive twenty-first-century skills to be more transferable than traditional reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Furthermore, students paradoxically report some specific writing and reading skills to be highly transferable and others less so. Finally, reported learning transfer varies according to faculty, self-reported grade, and with graduate vs undergraduate students. Implications concerning curriculum development in EAP are discussed. This article was published open access under a CC BY-NC-ND licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
The dissertation discussion chapter is considered one of the most rhetorically complex parts of a dissertation, where dissertation writers need to explicitly signal text relations, position their stances in relation to extant research and their own findings, engage readers, and assert the contributions of their research. One important way to achieve these rhetorical purposes is through metadiscourse. To investigate dissertation writers’ metadiscourse use in the discussion chapters across disciplines, this study employed Hyland’s metadiscourse (2019) model to analyse a corpus of twenty dissertation discussion chapters from two social sciences disciplines: applied linguistics (AL) and sociology (SOC). Results showed that the two groups of dissertation writers appropriated a majority of the metadiscoursal items similarly, yet significant differences occurred in the use of evidentials, code glosses, and self-mentions (p < .05). The results highlight the situated nature of metadiscourse and shed light on the preferred patterns of metadiscoursal usage in AL and SOC dissertation discussion chapters. This article was published open access under a CC BY-NC-ND licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
This study investigates university teachers’ perceptions of current practices and challenges in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) instruction at four institutions in Shanghai, China. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research explores key areas including course and assessment design, teaching materials, teacher training, and pedagogical approaches. The findings highlight widespread reliance on English for General Academic Purposes (EGAP), inconsistent assessment practices, limited teacher preparedness, and dissatisfaction with available teaching resources. Although teachers recognize the distinct demands of EAP, many struggle to implement them effectively due to a lack of institutional support and targeted training. The study underscores the need for contextually appropriate materials, professional development, and interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance the quality and relevance of EAP instruction in Chinese higher education. This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
As graduate students across disciplines face growing pressure to publish in English-medium journals, content specialists are increasingly engaged in supporting this goal through curriculum-based instruction. Drawing on a qualitative synthesis of thirty-nine peer-reviewed reports, this paper reviews a body of English-medium literature documenting content teachers’ curriculum-embedded instruction on writing for publication (WfP) for graduate students. The review focuses on two dimensions: content specialists’ perspectives on WfP instruction, as reflected in their attitudes and the theoretical insights they drew upon; and salient aspects of their instructional practices, including the pedagogical texts they employed and how they managed the constraints of limited course time. The findings offer valuable insights for both language and content specialists involved in designing and implementing pedagogical interventions aimed at enhancing graduate students’ publishing success. The findings also provide a useful basis for fostering collaboration between language and content teachers in supporting students’ development as scholarly writers. This article was published open access under a CC BY-NC-ND licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ .
This paper explores the perceptions of foundation year students from different educational backgrounds regarding peer feedback and suggests practical ways to increase its engagement and effectiveness in higher education. A survey in Oxford Brookes Business School, Oxford Brookes University, U.K. examined the general perceptions, challenges, and benefits for the reviewer and reviewee, and the preferred feedback methods. The respondents – international and home students in the foundation year of their business degrees studying business fundamentals and academic skills modules – were mostly positive about peer feedback, highlighting main benefits such as generating ideas, reflecting on their work, and improving structure. Reported challenges included lack of confidence and trust. Students preferred oral feedback, supported by assessment criteria and examples. Key implications include recognizing and considering students’ prior experience and views, involving them actively in the planning process, and embedding sustainable learning practices to support future learning and employability. This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Many high-stakes language tests use scripted listening passages that lack many features of authentic speech (Wagner, 2016), potentially resulting in construct under-representation. One solution is to ‘authenticate’ or revise passage scripts to include more natural language features (Wagner et al., 2021, p. 206). Empirical analysis of real-world language use can help ensure effective authentication. The present study analyses the use of turn openers, a prevalent oral language feature that is crucial to turn-taking, in graduate academic U.S. English. A subset of the Michigan Corpus of Academic Spoken English (MICASE) (Simpson et al., 2002) was analysed to identify common turn openers (the first sound, word, or phrase of a new speaker turn; Tao, 2003) and their clusters, functions, and relationships to contextual variables (discipline, interactivity, speaker status, graduate student role). The nine most frequent forms (including yeah, okay, mhm) clustered and functioned differently and seemed unimpacted by contextual variables. Implications for listening script authentication are discussed. This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
This paper reports on a comparative study of two English language tests in a transnational education (TNE) context: TEEP (Test of English for Educational Purposes) developed at the University of Reading (U.K.) and IELTS (International English Language Testing System). Our study adopted a longitudinal mixed-methods design. Students’ TEEP and IELTS results were collected, and then two phases of focus groups with students were conducted to explore their perceptions of test-taking and academic study. Quantitative data were subject to statistical analysis and qualitative data to thematic analysis. Quantitative results showed that the students performed significantly better on Speaking and Writing in TEEP while they performed significantly better overall and on Listening and Reading in IELTS. Factor Analysis suggested both TEEP and IELTS tapped into one single underlying construct which we termed English-language proficiency. Qualitative results from focus groups illuminated the quantitative findings and the perceived relevance in their subject study. This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
In 2021, Taiwan’s Ministry of Education launched the Programme on Bilingual Education for Students in College (BEST Programme) to enhance students’ English for Academic Purposes (EAP) skills and expand English Medium Instruction (EMI). Central to this initiative is the BEST Test of English Proficiency (BESTEP), designed to reflect language demands in university contexts. Performance descriptors developed across Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) A2–B2 levels cover context, communication function, and linguistic performance. A mixed-methods sequential explanatory design was employed, entailing a survey of 805 students and 220 EAP/ EMI teachers, followed by interviews with a subset of participants. Analyses revealed broad agreement on the descriptors’ relevance, though EMI teachers differed on the relevance of and student readiness for some descriptors. Students’ perceived difficulty aligned with their proficiency, with tasks like synthesizing information identified as challenging. Findings highlight the value of stakeholder input in validating the BESTEP’s descriptors and guiding EAP course design in support of academic progress. This article was published open access under a CC BY-NC-ND licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
This paper reports on two studies by Trinity College London on the validity of a new reading-into-writing test task. The first examined cognitive processes in sixteen international students at three U.K. institutions. The second gathered perceptions from fifty EAP instructors and ninety international students across twenty U.K. universities. Participants spanned a wide range of disciplines, education levels, and linguistic backgrounds. The studies establish strong correspondence between real-life academic writing and the new task. The first study, using think-aloud methodology, confirmed the task elicits authentic cognitive processes aligned with existing academic writing models, while also revealing additional processes related to conceptualization, discourse construction, and monitoring, adding definitional detail to the construct. The second study, using questionnaires and interviews, found most stakeholders view the task as similar to real-life academic writing. It also documents students’ writing needs and abilities, and EAP assessment practices in the context of emerging challenges from generative AI. This article was published open access under a CC BY-NC-ND licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
This bibliometric study compared research topics reported in English for Specific Purposes: An International Research Journal (ESPJ) and Chinese Journal of ESP (CJESP) between 2010 and 2020. Research topics were represented by i) frequently researched topics and ii) clusters of research topics. Frequently researched topics were investigated by co-word analysis based on author keywords of 278 and 274 research articles in these two journals, and clusters of research topics were investigated by bibliometric mapping software VosViewer. The key findings were as follows: i) Regarding frequently researched topics, ‘EAP’, ‘ESP’, ‘academic writing’, and ‘genre analysis’ were shared topics. However, ‘word lists’ and ‘lexical bundles’ were frequently researched in ESPJ but not in CJESP, whereas ‘curriculum design’, ‘EGAP related to college English’, and ‘translation’ were frequently researched in CJESP but not in ESPJ; ii) regarding clusters of research topics, ESPJ featured textual analysis in ‘EAP’ and ‘professional communication’, while CJESP reported on ‘ESP teaching’, ‘curriculum design’, and ‘material development’. Both journals discussed needs analysis. This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Providing written corrective feedback (WCF) on English-language learners’ (ELLs) writing is an efficacious, but time-consuming practice in English for Academic Purposes (EAP). Advances in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), such as large language models (LLMs) may afford EAP language educators time-saving tools for providing WCF. In this study, we investigate the capability of GPT-4 Turbo, a LLM, in providing WCF on ELLs’ writing, and compare the feedback provided by GPT-4 with feedback provided by two experienced English-language educators. Data came from teacher and GPT-4 generated feedback on fifty ELL writing samples, collected from two classes at an intensive English programme for non-matriculated college ELL students. We explored the types and numbers of error marking codes utilized, the number of error codes used correctly and incorrectly, and the number of errors missed by the teachers and GPT-4. We found GPT-4 to be less reliable and accurate than the two trained language educators. Both teachers and GPT-4 used error marking codes correctly and incorrectly, as well as missed errors in student writing all together. We conclude, however, that if LLMs continue to improve at the current rate, with better prompt engineering, GenAI may soon allow language educators to share the time-consuming burden of providing WCF on students’ writing. This article was published open access under a CC BY-NC-ND licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
Multi-word combinations are a key component of a variety of academic genres. Student writers thus need to master control of these expressions to communicate effectively in their specific contexts. However, multi-word patterns often present a challenge to students at various levels of academic study. This paper reports on a case study exploring how a data-driven learning approach drawing on self-compiled corpora can enhance student writing in preparation for their doctoral study at a British university. The participant was an international student in mathematical sciences who utilized a self-build corpus throughout a ten-week pre-sessional programme to acquire and incorporate multi-word expressions in their writing. The effectiveness of this approach was investigated through a ‘talk around text’ technique in an interview on completion of the pre-sessional programme. The findings show that a self-compiled corpus is a valuable resource for students mastering writing in specific disciplinary contexts. This article was published open access under a CC BY-NC-ND licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
With the arrival of open generative AI, one of the most hotly debated topics is whether AI will replace human teachers in a language classroom (Gao, 2024; Li et al., 2024; Wen, 2024b). Though a general consensus has been reached that AI will partly replace language teachers, the roles of language teachers are underexplored in AI-assisted language teaching. This article reports on an action research of an AI-assisted language course collaborated by three Chinese teachers and a foreign teacher with AI Xiao Ya serving as an assistant to explore the curriculum development and teachers’ roles. The problems faced by instructors are the efficacy of integrating story reading with creative writing in an intensive course and piloting Xiao Ya as an AI teaching assistant (TA). After an intensive course of two weeks with a cohort of forty-three students majoring in the humanities, a questionnaire was circulated online to collect their feedback on the curriculum implementation and perceptions of AI as a TA. Voluntary interviewees were also recruited to elaborate on the given questionnaire items. It is found that although the curriculum of integrating story reading with creative writing is perceived successful by the majority of students, the roles of language teachers have been expanded from the traditional ones as curriculum planners, activity organizers, and language instructors to AI trainers and collaborators with AI engineers. Though language teachers embrace AI technology, AI has yet to reach a stage of fully lessening the workload of language teachers, let alone replacing them. This article was published open access under a CC BY-NC-ND licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
The pre-sessional team at a university in the Midlands (U.K.) trialled a new observation approach in which teachers had a choice between three observation types: online seen live (synchronous); online seen recorded (asynchronous); and unseen. This presented the opportunity to consider what impact, if any, the type of observation has on observer and observee perceptions and experiences of lesson observations. Perceptions of the observations were collected via focus groups and interviews and were analyzed using a pragmatic version of grounded theory (Barbour, 2018). Preliminary findings suggest that the type of observation can dial up or down certain qualities of the observation, such as who controls the data and whether observations are seen as high or low risk, creating opportunities to move beyond box ticking and towards using observations for meaningful individualized continuing professional development (CPD). This may be especially important in the pre-sessional context, in which many practitioners work under precarious circumstances, with increasingly limited access to meaningful CPD and diminishing opportunities for experimentation within their practice (le Roux, 2022). This article was published open access under a CC BY-NC-ND licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
This study investigated the experiences and histories of two teachers of both language and content classes to undergraduate students in Japanese universities, one a British anglophone speaker and the other a Japanese national. In Japan, with the spread of English-medium instruction (EMI) courses, issues of language use have stimulated much debate. As teachers of both English and applied linguistics, through a collaborative autoethnographic (CAE) approach, we explored issues of shuttling between Japanese and English, and of content acquired in both languages. Our findings revealed the nature of our translanguaging practices and related them to our epistemic beliefs and study histories abroad, noting the influence of those experiences and differing student attitudes towards our relative status as English speakers. Conclusions pointed to the benefits of the research methodology of CAE to co-construct our narratives and unpack how our personal backgrounds intersected with our current EMI pedagogies. This article was published open access under a CC BY-NC-ND licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
The COVID19 pandemic, the economic crisis, and geopolitical concerns are weighing on the entire human life. Living in the era of change and uncertainty, as a second language (L2) educator and researcher, I start to think about and work on the new meaning of L2 education. In this paper, I propose a resilient-whole framework with the goal of transforming L2 curriculum into a more reactive, adaptive, diverse and inclusive, and sustainable one that possesses the power of cultivating L2 learners’ mind–body–world alignment throughout their language learning processes. A resilient mind, namely, the ability to navigate life, adapt to change, and learn through adversity, is considered to be essential to L2 learners’ success, not only in the academic fields but also in their future career and life. With a focus on resiliency, this paper demonstrates how L2 curriculum at the college level could achieve the goal by adopting a content-based language instructional approach to course design and teaching. Specifically, resiliency is discussed from the perspectives of content-language unit design, tasks, and projects for online teaching and learning, internal and external collaborations, assessment rubrics, and student advising. It is through tightening all these aspects together, with resiliency permeating into everyday practices, that the L2 classroom is further enriched and strengthened in the era of change. This article was published open access under a CC BY-ND licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/.
