EFL in Higher Education: Designing a Flexible Content-Based Curriculum at University-Level
Title
EFL in Higher Education: Designing a Flexible Content-Based Curriculum at University-Level
EFL in Higher Education: Designing a Flexible Content-Based Curriculum at University-Level
Keywords: content-based instruction, university-level EFL instruction, curriculum development, Turkish EFL context
Authors
Dr. Zubeyde Sinem GENC
Uludag University, Turkey
Dr. Zubeyde Sinem GENC
Uludag University, Turkey
Bio Data
Dr. Zubeyde S. GENC is currently an assistant professor in the ELT Department at Uludag University, Turkey. She received her Ph.D. from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), USA. She taught EAP at IUP and graduate courses in the MATESOL at Southern Illinois University. Her research interests are second language teacher education, TESOL theory, curriculum development and second language acquisition.
Abstract
The current trend of globalization and the developments in information technology have boosted the role of English, which has become a universal language of knowledge and communication. In this demanding and challenging information era in which we live, EFL instruction in higher education institutions needs to offer the students more than general proficiency in English. They need to make the connection between English and students future careers. However, it is not an easy task to design a curriculum at university level to address these issues. This article describes a content-based language program developed for teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) at a Turkish university. It aims to illustrate the rationale and the process of designing a flexible content-based curriculum for university students. After a brief introduction to the place of English at Turkish universities, it discusses the limitations and inadequacies of the previous foreign language curriculum as well as the principles that the new program is based on at Uludag University. The curriculum presented in the article is intended to be a model for teaching EFL or other foreign languages at higher education institutions.
The current trend of globalization and the developments in information technology have boosted the role of English, which has become a universal language of knowledge and communication. In this demanding and challenging information era in which we live, EFL instruction in higher education institutions needs to offer the students more than general proficiency in English. They need to make the connection between English and students future careers. However, it is not an easy task to design a curriculum at university level to address these issues. This article describes a content-based language program developed for teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) at a Turkish university. It aims to illustrate the rationale and the process of designing a flexible content-based curriculum for university students. After a brief introduction to the place of English at Turkish universities, it discusses the limitations and inadequacies of the previous foreign language curriculum as well as the principles that the new program is based on at Uludag University. The curriculum presented in the article is intended to be a model for teaching EFL or other foreign languages at higher education institutions.
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Category: Main Editions, Volume 13 Issue 1
