Overview - University of Wollongong Teaching & Learning Journal
Article Title
Teaching academic English: Language and culture in the academic community
Abstract
1997 is the first year of the English Language Studies major at the University of Wollongong. The major has arisen out of a clear need to address the language development of non-English speaking background (NESB) students. As the major is being developed and the subject materials taught, we, the developers are conscious of our own teaching practices and are observing the learning styles of our students. As we participate in this process, we are learning much about who we are as educators and what we are trying to do with these students. These students have language development needs but they are also outside of our intellectual tradition. They need induction into the implicit processes and practices of our academic community. This brief paper outlines the background to the establishment of the major and offers for your consideration some of the issues that we are faced with in trying to take an implicit process of learning and make it explicit while at the same time, also developing the students' English language competency.