Student presentations as a means of teaching and learning English for Specific Purposes: an action research study

Bin Ai, Alexander Kostogriz, Daorong Wen, Lifei Wang

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

    8 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    With China’s rising role in the global economic market, both local and international employers seek graduates with well-developed communication skills in at least one additional language to complement their specific knowledge and abilities. University graduates are taught English for Specific Purposes (ESP) within their particular disciplines. This article reflects on the first author’s action research, using student presentations as a pedagogical practice with first year postgraduate students not majoring in English in a Chinese university. The authors propose that ESP pedagogy needs to progress beyond the monological Chinese Confucian model of education to a dialogic, inclusive, and hospitable model of the classroom as an imagined third space where creative, critical thinking is encouraged. This research aims to contribute to Chinese ESP pedagogy, to inform international educators of developments in the education of graduates for internationalized business practice, and to contribute to the global discourse on ESP pedagogy.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)223-237
    Number of pages15
    JournalTeaching in Higher Education
    Volume25
    Issue number2
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2020

    Keywords

    • action research
    • Chinese postgraduate students
    • dialogic teaching
    • ESP pedagogy
    • student presentations

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