1 TIPS ON LEARNING IN EMI COURSESDr. Choi, Tae Hee Mr. Cheung, Kwan Lok Hong Kong Institute of Education
2 Agenda I. Learning in Class 2. Writing Assignments3. Useful Learning Resources Appendices: Academic Writing Random tips on writing in academic style Where to look for supporting evidence Random linguistic strategies for academic writing A research conducted by Dr. Choi, Tae Hee shows that most students’ difficulty understanding course content was directly related to technical terms and abstract theoretical concepts. They claimed that in EMI lessons they couldn’t follow the teaching because they didn’t understand the jargon the teacher used and/or the concepts the teacher referred to. When those students revised course content for exams or assignments, they tended to spend a lot of time trying to understand key terms and/or concepts. Students’ struggles when learning through EMI also stemmed from the lack of academic writing training. Here, some random tips are provided to introduce some basic principles and conventions in academic writing. Due to the limited space, tips listed here are not meant to cover all aspects in EAP but are mostly information that allows different interpretations and thus provide opportunities for further discussion/elaboration.
3 Learning in Class: 1st tipRead related reference materials before you attend a lesson Skim through abstract, headings & conclusion before you read the whole paper
4 Learning in Class: 2nd tipLearn repeated terms (key concepts) before the lesson
5 Approaching difficult words and key concepts: Using multiple sourcesExample: Zone of proximal development Vygotsky defined it as “the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with a more capable peer” (as cited in Graue, 1993, p. 29) Sometimes definitions in reference books are opaque that students may find it hard to comprehend. An example is provided. (It will show up when the full-screen mode is turned on.)
6 Approaching difficult words and key concepts: Using multiple sources1. Wikipedia
7 Approaching difficult words and key concepts: Using multiple sources3. Google Search: “[A concept] is defined as” “The Zone of Proximal development is defined as the gap between what a student can do alone and what the student can achieve through teacher assistance.” 2. Google Image Here are three methods for students to use. The first one is typing the name of a concept/term on Google Image, and possibly some graphic explanations will show up. The second is to use the Google search engine to look for different definitions of the same concept. The third one is to search for PowerPoint slides related to a certain concept. 4. Google Search: “[A concept] filetype:ppt”
8 Learning in Class: 3rd tipActively engage in class. Feel free to ask if you have any questions.
9 Writing Assignments: 1st tipDecide on your topic early so you can have more time to read related research
10 Where to look for related researchMain sources: 1) Journal articles (HKIEd library website) 2) Reference books (Libraries or Google Books) Tips: Do not cite Wikipedia entries unless you want to research on Wikipedia. Not all information is correct. Use Wikipedia only to locate references. Because everyone can edit Wikipedia entries and the authors of those entries may not be experts; therefore, the credibility of the information there is highly questionable. Wikipedia is “banned” in American universities. There is usually a reference list at the end of every entry. Students can locate, but should not cite, sources on Wikipedia.
11 Writing Assignments: 2nd tipTalk about your idea with friends and classmates
12 Writing Assignments: 3rd tipWrite early so you have more time to revise your work.
13 Writing Assignments: 4th tipThink of a rough outline and constantly revise/refine it.
14 Writing Assignments: 5th tipA good piece of writing is cohesive (grammar) and coherent (logic). When you have finished, look at your headings and topic sentences to ensure these features.
15 Writing Assignments: 6th tipLook for the right word, and check the usage 1. type a synonym (e.g. say) on Thesaurus.com 2. check an expression on Google books with “” Search with quotation mark (“ “) let you find the exact phrase
16 Writing Assignments: 7th tipDon’t keep on thinking when you have a writer’s block. Read more.
17 Writing Assignments: 8th tipLet your brain rest before you revise your essay.
18 Useful Self-help resourcesYale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences APA Formatting and Style Guide - Purdue Online Writing Lab https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ Academic Phrase Bank The Yale one provides comprehensive, yet accessible and concise, guidelines on academic writing. The Purdue (pronunciation: per 雕) one is about formatting in different citation styles.
19 Academic Writing: Random TipsAcademic writing is more complicated because the target audience are academics, who are conservative & critical. Academic writing needs to be: Evidence-based, objective, cautious, analytic, & specific
20 Academic Writing: Random TipsAcademic writing needs to be: 1. Evidence-based (e.g. bla bla bla (Byun et al., 2010) 2. Objective (e.g. I think, I guess, it is proved that ……) 3. Cautious (e.g. It’s got to be like this! It is possible that…) 4. Analytic (e.g. A says this. B says this. C says that. A and B say this and C says that; the differences come from…) 5. Specific (e.g. Students are in need of more support Give examples of the support needed)
21 How to be objective, cautious, analytic and specific: Grammar makes meaningExamples: I think merely teaching in English would not be useful. Objective: avoid 1st and 2nd person pronouns Current researches have corroborated that merely teaching in English would not be useful (in-text citations). Cautious: use hedging devices Current research findings indicate that merely teaching in English might not necessarily improve students’ English proficiency (in-text citations). Hedging >>>>
22 How to be objective, cautious, analytic and specific: Grammar makes meaningAnalytic: break down, make connections and give reasons Current research findings indicate that merely teaching in English might not necessarily improve students’ English proficiency (in-text citations). Findings from bilingual education show that the participants with limited English do not benefit from EMI courses.
23 How to be objective, cautious, analytic and specific: Grammar makes meaningSpecific: give detailed information Current research findings, which concerned/concerning mainly EFL students in expanding circle countries, indicate that merely teaching in English might not necessarily improve students’ English proficiency without appropriate scaffolding (in-text citations).
24 Finally, follow APA! Sample PaperA sample paper with detailed description of how to do APA Sample Paper
25 Q & A