IN this article we explore two types of academic English course offered to international students at different stages of their adventure into studying in a foreign tongue, in this case English. These courses are the pre-entry or preparatory program and the post-entry support program. The former aims to give international students a strong foundation of language and academic skills along with social-cultural knowledge and practical strategies for coping with studies and life in general; the post-entry program of support reinforces and builds on the foundation provided by its predecessor.
How can an academic English course help the international student prepare for tertiary studies? The well-rounded preparatory academic English program includes development of a wide range of academic skills from the ability to plan one’s study timetable, to use soft and hard versions of indexes and bibliographies and to analyze written and aural texts critically. Also included in a well-rounded academic English program are opportunities for students to develop knowledge of the local general and academic culture so that they are able to work comfortably with this environment.
In practice, at University of Western Australia, this means that teaching materials, tasks and projects simulating those met during tertiary studies exploit university-level reading and listening texts to carefully and progressively develop the whole range of language, academic and socio-culture knowledge and skills. In carrying out this accessible tasks and projects, students work individually and cooperatively to set realistic goals, plan and complete tasks, solve problems, negotiate solutions and discuss ideas and outcomes. These progresses are given depth by asking students to keep honest and thoughtful journals reflecting on each stage of their experience of the performance of each task and the strategies used for their completion.
To keep both the preparatory and support programs of academic English relevant to the needs of international students, teaching and support staff have set up a feed back loop. The feedback loop alerts the support staff to the continuing language and academic needs of graduating students about to enter tertiary studies.
