Asynchronous (Online) Guiding Beginning Academic Writers Toward Effectively Integrating Source-Texts in Essays more

Fri, Apr 28, 12:00-Thu, Jun 1, 00:05 Asia/Seoul

Due to student needs in EMI higher-education institutions, EAP is being required at lower English proficiency levels. A building-block approach of systematically developing general language proficiency before introducing EAP is not feasible when students need EAP to successfully complete their other courses. Two key skills for EAP are critical reading and effective writing. This research explores the effectiveness of an integrated source reading and writing approach to developing students’ academic writing. Teachers (n=6) at a tourism-focused Institute in Macau were interviewed on their perceptions after one term using integrated reading and writing tasks to teach academic literacy. Results indicated that some teachers felt source texts helped students develop the content and lexical complexity of their essays, but patch writing was apparent. General academic skill development problems with citation format, cohesion, and reading comprehension were more apparent among students of lower English proficiency. Suggestions are provided for using integrated reading and writing tasks to teach EAP.