Direct Entry Programs (DEPs) for international students have become an increasingly prominent feature of the Australian tertiary education landscape over the past two decades, and are offered at all 43 of Australia s universities. SCU College offers a face-to-face direct entry English for Academic Purposes (EAP) unit at three levels, enabling successful EAP graduands to enter diploma, undergraduate and post-graduate programs at Southern Cross University, depending on their past educational qualifications and level of English proficiency. EAP units focus on both the development of overall English proficiency and of the academic literacies and skills that students need to succeed in an English-medium university (Klimova, 2015; Wette, 2014; Dooey, 2010; Agosti & Bernat, 2009). Increasingly, international students from offshore institutional partners are looking for opportunities to develop their proficiency and skills pre-arrival. This presents opportunities for SCU College to use the online environment to meet these needs, while also beginning the process of academic discourse socialization (Duff, 2007, p. 01.3). This presentation outlines the first stages of the development of an online semester-long program for Dalian University in Dalian, China, using Zoom and WeChat, and focussing on academic listening skills. It explores the challenges and opportunities in creating and delivering engaging online content to students learning English in China.
Agosti, C., & Bernat, E. (2009). Teaching direct entry programs effectively: Insights for ELICOS teachers and managers. English Australia Journal, 25(1), 27.
Dooey, P. (2010). Students perspectives of an EAP pathway program. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 9, 184 197. doi:10.1016/j.jeap.2010.02.013
Duff, P. A. (2007). Problematising academic discourse socialisation. Learning discourses and the discourses of 184 learning, 1(1), 1 18.
Klimova, B. (2015). Designing an EAP Course. Social and Behavioral Sciences, 191, 634 638.doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.04.329
Wette, R. (2014). Teachers' practices in EAP writing instruction: Use of models and modelling. System, 42, 60 69. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2013.11.002