Towards a Critically and Dialogically Mediated EAP
Towards a Critically and Dialogically Mediated EAP
Keywords: Academic Literacies, Critical Praxis, Critical Pedagogy
Authors
Glenn Toh
Tamagawa University
Bio Data
Glenn Toh has taught English for Academic Purposes in New Zealand, Hong Kong, Japan and his native Singapore. He has also lectured on post-graduate teacher training programs in TEFL and TESOL in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and other parts of the Asia-Pacific.
Abstract
This article addresses issues surrounding an interesting development in Japan – the introduction of academic content courses in English at a growing number of Japanese universities – where Japanese has incumbently and traditionally been the medium of instruction. This late development has resulted in a greater demand for the teaching of English for Academic Purposes (EAP). The article begins with a discussion of relevant literature concerning the socio-historic nature of knowledge and meaning making and how it relates to the teaching of EAP before a critical examination of matters arising from the author’s lived experience of two separate teaching situations involving EAP. The article concludes by noting that matters to do with language, meaning making as well as teacher and student subjectivities need to be considered in EAP course conceptualization and planning.
Category: Monthly Editions, Volume 15 Issue 4
