Reviewing the implementation of an English-in-the-Discipline Course for Speech & Hearing Sciences Students

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate an English-in-the-Discipline (ED) course for Speech & Hearing Sciences (SHS) students in the University of Hong Kong for the 4-year new undergraduate curriculum. An ED course is considered to be a course that introduces students to relevant academic English discourse in which to support their disciplinary learning. The overall goal of the presentation is to consider how the ED course is embedded into the discipline to empower SHS students to transfer relevant English skills in their discipline and clinical practice. The challenges and opportunities for the implementation of the course are also discussed. The ED course covers critical reading skills, academic essay writing, reflective writing and independent learning. Data were collected by means of student questionnaires and focus group interviews. This presentation reports on the development and implementation of the course and analyses students’feedback onthe in-class and out-of-class teaching and learning materials, assessment methodsandtheir relevance to thedisciplinary study and future career. Because of the dual nature of the SHS programme focusing on clinical experience and language education, the research findings provide implications for English teaching and learning in the disciplines of humanities and social sciences (such as Arts and Education) and clinical programmes (such as Medicine and Dentistry which adopt a Problem-based Learning approach). The course templates also have great potential for being transferred to other courses within other programmes in the Faculty of Education (cross-disciplinary) or to other faculties (University-wide) to benefit a variety of learners.