Educational Change Amongst English Language College Teachers in China: Transitioning from Teaching for General to Academic Purposes

ISBN-13: 9789811530524 / Angielski / Twarda / 2020 / 149 str.

Yulong Li

Recenzje

"In this book, the author arranges the chapters in a systemic manner that allows EAP researchers or teachers to relate to the content immediately. ... this book still profers insightful implications theoretically and methodologically for the further development of EAP teaching ... ." (Yingbin Sun, Yan Peng and Linxin Liang, Higher Education, January 15, 2022)

"This book by Yulong Li is a timely contribution to aid our understanding ... . this book succeeds in enriching our understanding of EAP as multiple literacies ... . All in all, it is foreseeable that more universities and practitioners in China will reform the CET curriculum through offering EAP courses, and this book will be relevant and even inspiring to them. We also recommend it to EAP teachers, researchers and policy makers in similar contexts." (Nana Long, Journal of English for Academic Purposes, Vol. 55, January, 2022)

Spis treści

Chapter 1 Introduction

1. An EAP reform coming to China

Chapter 2: EAP and EAP teachers

2.1 The concept of EAP

2.2 Redefinition of EAP as multiple literacies

2.2.1 Under traditionalism: language as a system and EAP as academic literacy

2.2.2 Under progressivism: language as discourse and EAP as disciplinary cultural literacy

2.2.3 Under criticalism: language as ideology and EAP as critical literacy

2.2.4 Under digitalism: New meanings of language and EAP as digital literacy

2.3 EAP Teacher development

2.4 Research Rationales and research questions

Chapter 3: Research methodology

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Philosophical paradigms: Interpretivisim

3.3 Methodology

3.3.1 Ethnography

3.3.2 Phenomenology

3.3.3 Phenomenological ethnography

3.4 Fieldwork methods

3.4.1 Participant and non-participant observations

3.4.2 Ethnographic and phenomenological interviews

3.4.3 Researcher as tool: etic and emic

3.4.4 Documentary analysis

3.5 Positionality and reflexivity

3.6 Plan for data analysis and organisation

3.6.1 Thick description: the first layer of data

3.6.2 Multiple Case studies: the second layer of data

3.6.2.1 Life histories

3.6.2.2 Discourse analysis and multimodal discourse analysis

3.6.2.3 Thematic analysis

3.6.3 Producing theories: the third layers of data

3.7 Trustworthiness

3.8 Generalisability

3.9 Ethical concerns

3.10 Summary

Chapter 4: Findings

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Thick description

4.2.1 Field context

4.2.2 Positionality of the author as a researcher entering the field: Summary of field notes

4.3 Case Study 1: Fielding

4.3.1 Life history of Fielding

4.3.2 Getting to know Fielding

4.3.2.1 Initially rejected but later accepted my invitation

4.3.2.2 Did Fielding tell me what he really believes?

4.3.2.3 Uncertain of what is EAP himself at the beginning

4.3.2.4 He and his colleagues were not clear about EAP

4.3.2.5 Designing an EAP course out of his own life experience and belief in education and language

4.3.2.6 Fielding as a believer of learning by doing

4.3.2.7 Fielding as a believer in language acquisition theory

4.3.2.8 Teaching IELTS helps EAP

4.3.2.9 Supporting learner autonomy as a reflection on Chinese students and their education contexts

4.3.2.10 Understanding Chinese students

4.3.2.11 How does Fielding understand EAP?

4.3.2.12 What does Fielding think about the EAP Shanghai guideline?

4.3.2.13 Teaching EAP concepts holistically

4.3.2.14 Benefiting more from “self-trained” than sponsored EAP training

4.3.2.15 EGP-EAP relation: Using different tasks for different purposes

4.3.2.16 Nurturing ethical EAP learners: Do not become an “exquisite egoist”!

4.3.2.17 Unveiling Fielding’s smooth adaptation into EAP from EGP

4.4 Case Study 2: Lisa

4.4.1 Life history of Lisa

4.4.2 From knowing to participation

4.4.3 EAP is a logic and “disguised” language for doing research

4.4.4 Lisa’s perspective on the distinction between EAP and EGP and the Shanghai EAP reform

4.4.5 Giving prescriptive discursive samples

4.4.6 Inserted humanity into EAP teaching

4.4.7 Empowering students and helping them make their voices heard

4.4.8 Locating problems in EAP reform and teaching

4.5 Case Study 3: Bluewitch

4.5.1 Life history of Bluewitch

4.5.2 My interaction with Bluewitch

4.5.3 The Uniqueness of Bluewitch’s EAP theory

4.5.3.1 Bluewitch’s EAP concept

4.5.3.2 The formation of Bluewitch’s EAP theory: deriving from teaching

4.5.3.3 Recognising students’ demotivation prompting Bluewitch to search for a better English teaching approach as a panacea

4.5.3.4 Experiencing academic misconduct and realising the significance of EAP

4.5.3.5 Gaining an international outlook: the perfection of Bluewitch’s EAP theory and pedagogy

4.5.3.6 Returning to China and establishing an EAP Utopia

4.5.3.7 Involving a war: calling on EAP to nurture students’ academic spirit

4.5.3.8 Winning opportunities for university-enterprise cooperation: The Spring of EAP

4.5.3.9 EAP: an act of changing from pedagogy to education

4.5.4 What does Bluewitch think about the EAP reform and the EAP courses offered at other similar universities?

4.5.5 The features of Bluewitch’s EAP course

4.6 Case Study 4: Rui

4.6.1 Life history of Rui

4.6.2 My two years of contact with Rui

4.6.3 Rui’s understanding of EAP

4.6.4 The difference between EGP and EAP

4.6.5 Rui’s opinion on Shanghai EAP reform

4.6.6 Using the classics to enlighten students’ thinking

4.6.7 Using emotion to teach

4.6.8 The influence of Rui’s background on her EAP teaching

4.7 Summary

Chapter 5: Discussion

5.1 Introduction

5.2 How do the teachers in a pedagogical transition from EGP formulate their epistemology of EAP?

5.2.1 Knowledge of EAP is from the teachers’ eclectic theories and experiences

5.2.2 The overlap between the teachers’ EAP knowledge and current theories

5.2.3 Teachers’ perception of difference between EGP and EAP

5.3 How does the transition from teaching EGP to EAP influence the teachers’ career as college English teachers?

5.3.1 The transition from EGP to EAP fulfils the teachers’ education ideals

5.3.2 EGP-EAP transition as teachers’ self-growth

5.3.3 EAP helped teachers boycott career crisis

5.3.4 EAP stimulates teachers to become researchers with visions of home and abroad

5.4 How do the teachers perceive the challenges and opportunities posed by the Shanghai EAP reform?

5.4.1 “Teachers are not ready”

5.4.2 Challenges arising from limited resources

5.4.3 Potential gaps for Chinese students to study EAP

5.4.4 Problems with the Shanghai EAP reform policy from teachers’ perspectives

5.4.4.1 Phenomenon one: Seeing the Shanghai EAP policy from Fielding’s perspective

5.4.4.2 Phenomenon two: Comparing the Shanghai EAP policy with Bluewitch’s EAP

5.4.4.3 The utilitarianism of the EAP course: seeking humanity

5.5 Summary

Chapter 6: Implications and conclusion

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Implications for EAP theory update

6.3 Implication for improving EAP teachers’ professionalism

6.4 Implications for updates to the Shanghai EAP language policy

6.5 Implications for preparing students for learning EAP

6.6 Implications for how to optimise the EAP pedagogy

6.7 Implications for coordinating resources

6.8 Conclusion

6.8.1 Recap and significance of the research

6.8.2 Limitations and future works

Bibliography

O autorze

Dr Yulong Li is an Assistant Professor at the City University of Macau, where he teaches university English, philosophy, and educational studies. Yulong has published extensively in the areas of applied linguistics, teacher development, mobile learning, education sociology and philosophy. 

Blurb

This open access book provides anthropological insights into the arduous yet rewarding journeys involved in selected TESOL teachers’ pedagogical transition to teaching English for Academic Purposes (EAP) at universities in Shanghai, the largest metropolitan area in China. 

Applying a unique combination of ethnography and phenomenology, the book offers innovative new perspectives on teacher education research. Drawing on the latest language education theory, it outlines a practitioner-friendly approach to EAP literacy. Teacher readers will especially benefit from the case studies presented here, which provide role models for teacher change in educational reform, as well as advice on their academic careers. In addition to addressing a timely and important research gap on EAP teachers in non-Western countries, the book is the ideal choice for readers interested in an update on English education in China.