Synchronous (Onsite) English for Specific or Academic Purposes Research Report/Paper (25 mins Onsite)
“This Is How THEY Write” – Interdisciplinary Communication in a University Communication Course
Research has shown that academic disciplines exhibit specific ways of thinking and collaborating (Becher & Trawler, 2001; Bradbeer, 1999; Woods, 2007). With the recent proliferation of interdisciplinary university courses in Singapore, the ability to understand and be understood by their coursemates from other disciplines is more important to students now. Little is known about how these students communicate and collaborate in interdisciplinary classroom settings though.
We aimed to describe university students' performance and perceptions of interdisciplinary communication in a first-year university communication course. The data includes 500 student surveys, 12 recorded and transcribed group discussions, and 20 interviews. An inter-cultural communication framework was used in data analysis. Awareness, experience, curiosity, and emphasis on equality between disciplines were highlighted as some pre-requisites for effective interdisciplinary communication.
Participants can expect to gain insights into university students' views on interdisciplinary classroom communication, useful in the design of learning in interdisciplinary courses.
-
Eunice Tan is a lecturer in the Language and Communication Centre of Nanyang Technological University. She taught English Language and Literature to secondary school students in Singapore, but later moved to Japan where she was introduced to the exciting world of EFL and EAP. While teaching in a high school in Osaka and then Rikkyo University in Tokyo, she completed a MATESOL from the University of Manchester. Her dissertation focused on educational technology and teacher training. After eight years in Japan, Eunice moved back to Singapore where she now teaches academic communication to both local and international students.