Success beyond class: Critical thinking skills and academic english

Christina Cavage
A young boy in a room full of books thining with his hand to his head, there is a lightbulb graphic above him

English for Academic Purposes (EAP) classes are designed to prepare students for higher education delivered in English. Students are expected to hold their own among a class full of fluent English speakers. So it’s essential that they have not only the language skills, but the academic and social skills that tertiary education demands today. And it’s up to teachers to ensure our students develop these skills – but that requires a balancing act.

Many EAP courses lack the authenticity of the college classroom experience. Lectures are generally relatively short, only 5-10 minutes long. Reading is scaffolded, and the content is very structured, even overly structured. Then, our students move into their academic courses where they encounter two-hour lectures, 50+ pages of reading, and content that is far from scaffolded. So, how do we bridge these academic, linguistic and social gaps? Let’s look at some techniques to help students succeed in higher education.

Bridging the linguistic gap

Linguistics gaps may involve content-specific language, or the informal language students encounter when they work with other students, or the connotative and denotative meanings and contexts of a word. To bridge this gap, we need to build deep conceptual vocabulary knowledge. We don’t want students only to have label knowledge. Label knowledge allows students to pass a vocabulary text where matching or multiple choice is present. But that is not enough in an academic environment. Deep conceptual knowledge means truly knowing a word.

So, what does it mean to know a word? Well, according to linguistics scholar Paul Nation, a student needs to know the following:

  • The spoken and written form
  • The parts of the word that have meaning
  • The word's forms and their meanings
  • The concepts and vocabulary associated with the word
  • The grammatical function, any collocations
  • The register and frequency of the word

That is a whole lot!

To build this extensive knowledge, we need to do so in an intentional manner. We need to build various activities that develop and foster critical thinking skills and engage students.

Here is an example:

“Hello! I am so glad to see so many of you at our special lecture today. Today, I am going to describe how a mixed community is planned and built. First, let’s look at what a mixed purpose community is, and then we will discuss the planning and building. As many of you know, a mixed purpose community is a neighborhood that includes residential spaces, business spaces, services and green spaces. How about the planning? First, when planning mixed purpose communities, architects, city planners and builders work together to plan where everything will be located. Because they want the community to be a fully walkable one, they need to think about how far homes are from schools, services and other businesses. Then, they carefully look at what kinds of businesses and services are needed. Next, they must design sidewalks so people can easily get to anywhere in the community, and not worry about car traffic. Today, planners are even looking at including bicycle paths, as more and more people are riding bicycles to work. Lastly, they need to consider the different types of residential space they will need. They build homes and apartments to attract all a wide variety of residents. These communities are becoming more and more popular, but planning them still takes time and a team of people.”

The terms mixed and community are bolded. You can engage students with a simple noticing activity of how these words are used, the forms they take, the words around them, their collocations and the concepts associated with these words. An exercise like this will help students develop a deep understanding of these words. And that deep understanding will enable students to make connections and draw conclusions around these terms.

Bridging the academic gap

EAP students move from very scaffolded EAP courses to courses where they must listen and take notes for 50 minutes or read 50+ pages before class. Additionally, their professors often do not build background knowledge, or scaffold learning, as they expect students to enter their classrooms with this understanding. And this can create an academic gap.

When it comes to bridging this gap, content can be the vehicle for instruction. Exposing students to the language of academic disciplines early on can build background knowledge, and be highly motivating for students who crave more than rote language instruction.

Bringing the social gap

When students enter their university courses they will be expected to work with peers, engage in group activities, negotiate, take turns and assert their own ideas into a dialogue. These social skills require language which needs to be developed and practiced in their EAP courses.
You can do this by building instructional tasks and learning around developing and practicing critical thinking skills. Consider introducing project-based learning to your class. In project-based learning, students must work with their peers, learning how to prioritize, negotiate and assign responsibility. Bringing in these types of tasks and activities helps develop soft and critical thinking skills.

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    The ultimate guide to language assessment in business

    By Samantha Ball
    Reading time: 7 minutes

    Effective international communication is crucial in the world of global commerce. In today's borderless marketplace, companies need to be linguistically flexible to be successful. For HR managers and business practitioners, comprehensive language evaluations are not just an add-on but a vital duty that can enhance your organization's success in the international market.

    This guide will take you through the crucial role of language assessment in business. It will discuss why language assessment is important, how to effectively implement it, its benefits for students and business professionals, and the current tools and technologies available. By the end, you will have the knowledge to identify the significance of language assessment in your business and make informed decisions that reflect the essential role of linguistic ability in the modern global economy.

    Why language assessment matters

    Enhancing communication effectiveness

    Effective communication is the lifeblood of any successful business. When diverse teams come together, be it in an office, on a shop floor, or at a virtual meeting, the ability to exchange information clearly and concisely can mean the difference between streamlined operations and costly misunderstandings. Language assessment ensures that employees possess the necessary language skills needed to communicate across teams and with clients worldwide.

    Global market competitiveness

    Accessing international markets hinges largely on the language capabilities of your workforce. Assessing language skills not only amplifies your organization's ability to engage with prospective clients and partners but also ensures that the customer experience is seamlessly delivered, regardless of the customer's primary language.

    Talent acquisition and retention

    Proper language assessments play a pivotal role in the recruitment process. They aid in identifying candidates with the language proficiencies required for specific roles, such as those involving international correspondence or multilingual customer support. By enabling a streamlined and objective measurement of language ability, your business can attract and retain talent, securing a competitive edge in a multilingual talent pool.

    Types of language assessments

    Proficiency tests

    Proficiency tests are the benchmarks for evaluating a person’s overall language capability. This category includes tests that cover all language skills, such as reading, writing, listening and speaking, like the Versant tests offered by app. These tests provide a comprehensive analysis that helps gauge an individual's ability to function effectively in a language, both in academic settings, the workplace and everyday contexts.

    Interviews

    Conversational skills and the application and comprehension of language in real-world scenarios play a significant role in many job roles. Structured interviews that focus on language are a vital component of the language assessment suite. These interviews typically evaluate oral and sometimes written language skills, providing context-specific insight into how these skills might translate in a professional setting.

    Role-playing scenarios

    Simulations that mimic workplace interactions provide an immersive method of assessing language skills beyond language proficiency tests. Candidates engage in practical scenarios that mirror the challenges and dynamics of a business environment, which is particularly valuable for assessing their ability to manage real-time communication under pressure.

    Implementing language assessment

    Best practices for HR managers

    When starting your language assessment program, begin with a thorough needs analysis. This involves identifying which roles require language proficiency, to what level and in which languages. Then, select or develop an assessment that aligns with these requirements. It's also important to provide clear instructions and support for candidates, ensuring that the assessment process is transparent and equitable.

    Training and development strategies

    Personalized learning plans can be a game-changer for employees who require language improvements. Identify the areas for development, set achievable goals, and incorporate regular assessments to measure progress. This approach ensures that training is targeted and effective, helping employees advance their language skills in a way that's both strategic and supportive.

    Benefits for business professionals

    Career advancement opportunities

    Proficient multilingualism can open doors to international career opportunities and is a key differentiator in many sectors. A dedication to mastering a foreign language can lead to personal and professional growth, including access to leadership positions and broader responsibilities.

    Cross-cultural competence

    Language proficiency is closely tied to cross-cultural understanding and competence. Business professionals who possess these abilities can traverse cultural boundaries with sensitivity and insight, essential for global leadership and successful collaborations in multicultural teams.

    Enhanced collaboration

    Clear and expressive communication fosters an environment of trust and collaboration. By investing in the linguistic abilities and listening skills of your teams, you're not only improving the performance of individual employees but also elevating the collective capacity for innovation and problem-solving within your organization.