Law students were asked to simulate, in writing, the thinking of a lawyer advising a client. Scripts produced by students and teachers revealed a pattern of repeated syllogisms, or an algorithm, contained within the macrostructure of situation-problem-solution. Variation depended upon the issues discussed or type of law studied. (28 references)…

A study investigated the extent to which English compound nouns are problematic for learners of English as a second language and identifies some causes of this comprehension difficulty. Subjects were 34 university students, of widely varying language backgrounds, in courses in English for academic purposes. Each was administered an instrument…

This paper discusses the rationale for using sustained content-based instruction (CBI) to teach English for academic purposes to non- native speakers, drawing on recent research and theory and on both personal experience and a small-scale study of college students. Discussion begins with a look at college and graduate students' needs for both…

Questions the extent to which non-academic materials can provide sound reading practice and writing models for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) students, particularly those from non-Western backgrounds who need to learn Western academic rhetorical patterns as well as academic English. Proposes that journal article abstracts be used to create…

Reports on a study exploring patterns of discourse organization in seminar-type discussions. Analysis was made of patterns of sequential organization in discussions between English for academic purposes students in university seminars in the United Kingdom. Analysis revealed two patterns of organization: simple exchanges of pre-formed ideas and…

In a study at Memphis State University (Tennessee), international students training as teaching assistants were taught the importance of discourse markers and other techniques for communicating in the classroom. The discourse markers are verbal cues that serve important pedagogical functions such as separating ideas, indicating temporal…

This study tested the utility of an approach to analyzing second language learners' listening skills in the context of a classroom discussion ("two-way listening skills"). The approach used was the Communicative Outcome system, which shifts the focus in discourse analysis from counting of tokens of negotiation to evaluation of what participants…

A study of the discourse of book reviews in several academic disciplines examines how interaction of text and context varies across disciplines. Sixty academic book reviews in linguistics, chemistry, and economics were analyzed for rhetorical structure and for the communicative goal of the genre, that of evaluating knowledge production. The book…

This study investigated the differences in language patterns in classroom conversations between university students of English for academic purposes and two native speakers: the teacher and a native English-speaking student selected to provide English speech practice. Transcripts of role-play interactions in two groups (one assisted by the…

A study investigated metadiscoursal signalling devices used in discussions in a business administration course in a British university, focusing on the use and function of the devices in seminars and tutorials. Data were drawn from seminar and discussion classes recorded for distance education purposes. The corpus of about 30,000 words included 18…

A study investigated the phenomenon of learner autonomy in six graduate students in a course in English for academic purposes. Students were developing skills in discourse intonation using a CD-ROM program, designed to encourage autonomous learning. Student interview data suggest that development of explicit knowledge of the language system can…

An English-for-Special-Purposes (ESP) text embodies structure and conventionalized features that play important roles in conveying its message to members of the specific discourse community. This means that such a text should not be simplified or otherwise subjected to loss of its generic integrity, yet these texts are often difficult for…

This study investigated register features of 164 foreign students' English writing before and after full-time courses in English for academic purposes. Results indicate the major changes were from features of spoken English to those more typical of formal writing, both in surface detail and in more fundamental characteristics. Less change occurred…

A study was conducted at an American university to collect data on how native English-speaking students asked questions in class. The data were analyzed for use of syntactic forms, formulaic expressions or prefatory comments, terms of address, functions fulfilled by the questions, and politeness markers. The results were then compared with the…

This guide is designed to provide teachers of English for academic purposes (EAP) with background information and tools to design and conduct courses for students who are either native speakers or non-native speakers of English. Chapter topics include: definition and scope of EAP and related study skills; assessment of student needs, by case study…