Traditional university courses typically teach discipline content only, while the academic skills needed to navigate that content are taught in generic ‘Academic English’ courses, delivered through standalone workshops, or left to the students to figure out for themselves. The need for a more embedded, or mainstreamed, approach to the teaching of such skills is well-documented in the literature (McWilliams & Allan, 2014; Purser et al, 2008; Thies, 2012; Wingate, 2006, 2015; Wingate et al, 2011), due to the discipline-specific nature of the texts, discourses, and ‘ways of knowing’ that students need to master. However, two obstacles are frequently reported: Firstly, academics are often reluctant to engage with academic skills, feeling that such matters fall outside both their job descriptions and their expertise. Secondly, there is a perception that time spent dealing with such skills will eat into the time that is usually spent covering the content syllabus, thus reducing what can be taught.
At the University of the South Pacific, we are piloting an embedded approach within a revised introductory linguistics course (LN111), which was introduced for the first time during Semester 2 2018. The course has been developed by an academic with a background in teaching Academic English, and it uses a blended approach in order to supplement the core linguistics content with additional materials, utilising online resources and activities for self-directed learning. Theoretically, therefore, the two obstacles above are removed.
However, the course design is ambitious, incorporating research skill development (such as finding, evaluating and incorporating sources), academic skills (such as support when working with written texts, or listening to academic lectures), and communication skills (the mechanics of language such as grammatical accuracy and punctuation) through supplementary activities that relate to the linguistics topics covered. An ongoing research project is therefore in progress to evaluate its effectiveness.
However, the course design is ambitious, incorporating research skill development (such as finding, evaluating and incorporating sources), academic skills (such as support when working with written texts, or listening to academic lectures), and communication skills (the mechanics of language such as grammatical accuracy and punctuation) through supplementary activities that relate to the linguistics topics covered. An ongoing research project is therefore in progress to evaluate its effectiveness.
References
McWilliams, R., & Allan, Q. (2014). Embedding academic literacy skills: Towards a best practice model. Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 11(3), 1-20.
Purser, E., Skillen, J., Deane, M., Donohue, J., & Peake, K. (2008). Developing academic literacy in context. Zeitschrift Schreiben: Schreiben in schule, hochschule und beruf, 1-7.
Thies, L. (2012). Increasing student participation and success: Collaborating to embed academic literacies into the curriculum. Journal of Academic Language and Learning, 6(1), 15-31.
Wingate, U. (2006). Doing away with study skills. Teaching in Higher Education, 11(4), 457-465.
Wingate, U. (2015). Academic literacy across the curriculum: towards a collaborative instructional approach. Paper presented at the International Conference on English Across the Curriculum, Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Wingate, U., Andon, N., & Cogo, A. (2011). Embedding academic writing instruction into subject teaching: A case study. Active Learning in Higher Education, 12, 69-81.
McWilliams, R., & Allan, Q. (2014). Embedding academic literacy skills: Towards a best practice model. Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 11(3), 1-20.
Purser, E., Skillen, J., Deane, M., Donohue, J., & Peake, K. (2008). Developing academic literacy in context. Zeitschrift Schreiben: Schreiben in schule, hochschule und beruf, 1-7.
Thies, L. (2012). Increasing student participation and success: Collaborating to embed academic literacies into the curriculum. Journal of Academic Language and Learning, 6(1), 15-31.
Wingate, U. (2006). Doing away with study skills. Teaching in Higher Education, 11(4), 457-465.
Wingate, U. (2015). Academic literacy across the curriculum: towards a collaborative instructional approach. Paper presented at the International Conference on English Across the Curriculum, Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Wingate, U., Andon, N., & Cogo, A. (2011). Embedding academic writing instruction into subject teaching: A case study. Active Learning in Higher Education, 12, 69-81.