BRIDGING ACADEMIC ENGLISH WITH CONTENT COURSES: AN ADJUNCT MODEL

The presenters will share their successful experience in designing a new language course following the adjunct model. This course is an integrated language and content course which prepares students of various backgrounds for success in courses taken simultaneously, as well as subsequently in the Freshman Year Curriculum. The course provides opportunities for students to develop the necessary communication and critical skills, cognitive strategies, and attitudes that are demonstrated to be integral to success in an academic environment. Students in the course learn to monitor their own learning and take responsibility for their own academic progress, work both independently and collaboratively with their peers, and learn to appreciate individual and cultural differences in a student-centered learning community.

Presenters will show how the course is designed to prepare students for mainstream classes of the freshman year. The adjunct course, English for Academic Purposes, emphasizes the acquisition of specific target vocabulary, concepts and study skills to familiarize students with the skills of listening and note-taking, speaking, reading and writing.

Students acquire these skills through a variety of exercises and activities that will be offered in the presentation. The ultimate goals of the course are to build EAP skills, introduce students to academic content, help students develop critical skills, critical thinking, information and media literacy, critical reading and critical listening, as well as the acculturation of the students into the Liberal Arts community.