An Analysis of Curriculum Renewal in Eap Context

Abstract

This study aims at describing the new approach to English for Academic Purposes (EAP) teaching based on the results of the curriculum renewal conducted for the freshman Academic Skills in English courses (ENG 101 and ENG 102) with reference to the Faculty of Computer Sciences. The study is based on the results of the needs analysis carried out with 1005 Freshman students, 17 Freshman EAP course instructors, and 35 departmental teachers. Taking the results of the needs analysis as the starting point, semi-structured interviews were conducted with department teachers to elicit their expectations from freshman students in terms of English language skills and academic skills. The sum of the gathered data formed the basis for the curriculum renewal, the target objectives and the approach for their achievement in the classroom. The findings of the study refer to a need for an integrated approach to EAP teaching which centers around the achievements of certain tasks expected by students' department teachers. The findings also highlight the need for an approach which is content-based and specific to students' study areas.