Abstract:

This study investigates the instructional effectiveness of applying place based approach (PBA) in teaching academic English context writing to student teachers who were learning English as a First Additional Language (FAL) in a university. The study employed a qualitative research design, embracing characteristics of a case study. The data were obtained from several sources, including interviews and classroom observations by the researchers. The findings revealed that despite some limitations, the teaching programme was successful such that students benefit from both developing their English language competency and mastering the material on the disciplines related to their future professional field. Lecturers experience a more coherent and enriched teaching environment. Most significantly, classroom observations showed that PBA was effective in improving students’ writing skills and that the students benefited to a greater extent in content and language use. The study suggests that the university has an opportunity to develop learning material that connects the students with their environment.

Keywords:

Place based approach, teaching, academic writing, English First Additional Language.