English Language Centre &
Newcastle Business School
Northumbria University: Programme and Subject
Leaders’ Conference, 2009.
Rethinking the delivery of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) the design
and development of the CEM Model (contextualisation, embedding and
mapping)
Sloan, D. E & Porter, E. (2009) Management of English language support in Post Graduate Business education:
the CEM Model (contextualisation, embedding and mapping), International Journal of Management Education, 7
(2), pp51-58.
Sloan, D. & Porter, E. (2008) Contextualising in-sessional language and study skills support for international and
EU students. Red Guide Paper 46, MARCET, Northumbria University.
Dr Diane Sloan
Newcastle Business School
PD Learning Enhancement & Dev.
diane.sloan@unn.ac.uk
Elizabeth Porter
ELC
PL In-sessional EAP
elizabeth.porter@unn.ac.uk
Structure of the presentation
1.
2.
Nature of the problem/past practice
Identification of key themes
Contextualisation
Embedding
Mapping
3.
4.
Value of the CEM Model
Future research
2
1. Nature of the problem
EAP specialist
 Little/no liaison with
subject specialists


Business specialist
 Cost considerations
Falling student attendance
on in-sessional EAP
Lack of student
engagement – 2nd semester
3

Low student attendance

Engagement

Communication with EAP
specialist
Starting the process

Establishing links between EAP & subject
specialist



Associate Dean NBS instigated
Programme Director – business
Programme Leader - EAP
4
Methodology

Group 150 NBS PG international students


NBS PG Programme Directors (7)


Questionnaires/focus groups
Meetings and interviews
NBS PG Module tutors (2)


Interviews
Shadowing
5
What were we asking?

Staff

Student development needs


NOT deficit model
Core module tutors

Dissertation/HRM



Identifying gap in understanding
Identifying gap in academic skills
Processes

Induction (what and when)
6


In-sessional EAP Past
process
Business School Role



Administrative process
Communication with
students
EAP Role

Enrolment

Induction Presentations


Syllabus design for
Sept - April
Timetabling
7

Emerging Issues

Student perception of
in-sessional EAP

Needs analysis

Teaching schedule

Conflict of interest
Emerging themes:

Contextualisation


Embedding


Generic vs specificity
Satellite service vs Business school service
Mapping

Right thing at the right time
8
2. Key themes
Contextualisation: EAP skills developed in the context
of specific Business programme modules

Analysis of:



Relevant Business modules: Human Resource module and
Dissertation Preparation module
EAP syllabus and Business programmes syllabi
Resulting in:



Reworking of the EAP syllabus
Negotiation with Business School Programme Directors and
Leaders
EAP syllabus negotiated with Business Module tutors



Shadowing
Deeper understanding of content
Greater understanding of linguistic demands
9
Embedding: integration of insessional EAP
into Business programme areas

Scheduling




Induction: presented with Business Modules
Timing: teaching in parallel with Business
modules
Timetable of EAP : on Central timetable
issued to students
EAP tutor; member of Business academic
team
10
Mapping: understanding of student need
for in-sessional EAP

Student needs

Research findings
patterns of working




Focus groups
Questionnaires
Course Committee
Meetings


Business staff needs




Student need for EAP in
May – September.
Example

Programme Directors
Programme Leaders
Module tutors
Communication
11
Data collection
Key findings: Data collection chapter
Student working on data collection
15
10
5
Month
12
p0
6
Se
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6
Au
l0
6
Ju
n0
6
Ju
06
M
ay
r0
6
Ap
06
ar
M
06
Fe
b
n0
6
Ja
D
ec
0
5
5
ov
0
N
05
0
O
ct
Frequency
20
Contextualisation,
Embedding
and Mapping
How
have things
changed?
The CEM Model
Past situation
SENIOR
Current situation
MANAGEMENT SUPPORT
EAP Tutors
PG Module
tutor
NBS Admin
PG Programme
PDs & PLs
Timetabling
Team membership
C O M M U N I CATI O N
13
The CEM Model
Contextualisation
Module Tutors
EAP tutor
Subject specialist
EAP director
Scheduling delivery
Communication
Programme Directors
Programme Leaders
EAP tutor
Central timetabling
Embedding
Mapping
14
3. Value of the CEM Model




Staff
 Closer involvement with subject specialists
 Closer mapping with subject delivery
Student
 Increased student attendance, threefold
 Increased level of student engagement
School
 Learning and Teaching agenda
Feedback
 External examiners
 External bodies – CIPD, English UK
15
Added value of CEM Model


EAP tutor involved in



16
Review e-learning portal
Enhanced communication
channels: podcasts & vodcasts
Working patterns
 Increased resource from
ELC
 EAP extended May – Sept
 Broadening
contextualisation
 Discrete support
Transferability – literacy skills
Assessment – CETL funding
Key questions emerging


How to sustain the integration of insessional EAP in the Business School?
How to ensure the quality of in-sessional
EAP delivery and development?
17
Strategic Framework
Contextualisation
Mapping
Team
involvement
The CEM Model
T&L
POLICY
18
Embedding
Communication
Policy adopted
Objective 1: Team involvement


Integration of EAP with:
 PDs
 Programme Leader
teams
 Programme teams
 Module tutors/teams
Committees
 School Teaching and
Learning
 School Student Liaison
19
Objective 2: Communication



Formalised inclusion
Programme Committee
Meeting agenda
Briefing Student Reps
Incorporation of EAP
feedback with School
module feedback process
Strategy Table
4. Future research 2009Evaluating the adaptability of the CEM
Model for supporting EAP delivery across
all academic schools
External partners to investigation
application of CEM Model in other
institutions.
20
Outcomes
 Staff development programmes : ELC and NBS
 Potential collaborations
 University of Waikatu, New Zealand
 University of Western Australia
 Auckland University of Teachnology
 Conference paper(s)




BALEAP Conference, November, 2006.
HEA Business, Management, Accountancy and Finance Conference Aston 2nd-4th May,
2007.
HEA Business, Management, Accountancy and Finance Conference, Edinburgh, April,
2008.
HEA Annual Conference, Harrogate, 1-3rd July, 2008
 Publication(s) – Business and management
 Sloan, D. E. & Porter, E. (2008)’The management of English language support in post
graduate business education: the CEM Model (contextualisation, embedding and
mapping’. International Journal of Management Education, 7 (2), pp. 51-58
 Sloan, D. E. & Porter, E. The CEM Model - Contextualising In-sessional Language and
Study Skills Support for International and EU students. Red Guide 46, MARCET
Publications, Northumbria University.
21
To summarise
In the words of Eric Morecombe how do we
move from ‘playing the right notes but in the
wrong order…’
22
References






Dudley- Evans, A. (1984) The team-teaching of writing skills. In R. Williams, J.M.Swales and J. Kirkman (Eds)
Common Ground: Shared interests in ESP and Communication Studies. ELT Documents 117
Dudley-Evans, T. & St John, M. J. (1998) Developments in ESP: A multi-disciplinary approach. Cambridge,
England: Cambridge University Press.
Hyland, K. (2002) Specificity revisited: how far should we go now? English for Specific Purposes, 21, 4, pp.385395.
Hyland, K. & Hamp-Lyons, L. (2002) ‘EAP: issues and directions’, English for Academic Purposes, 1, pp.1-12.
Madden, M. (2000) Preparation and delivery of a course in English for Specific Academic (Business
Administration) Purposes. IATEFL ESP SIG Newsletter issue 16.
Saunders, S. (2006) Does EAP work? A personal view, in A. Gillett & L. Wray (Eds ), Assessing the Effectiveness
of EAP Programmes. pp110-113. London, UK: BALEAP




Turner, Y. (2005) Students from mainland China and critical thinking in postgraduate Business and
Management degrees: teasing out tensions of culture, style and substance. International Journal of
Management Education, 5, 1, pp. 3-10.
University of Birmingham. (2008) English for International Students Unit.
http://www.eisu.bham.ac.uk/courses/presessionbme/ Accessed: January 2008.
University of Edinbrugh. (2008) English Language Courses. http://www.ials.ed.ac.uk/EL/EnglishAcademic/Pre-sessional.html. Accessed: January 2008.
University of Glasgow. (2008) Pre-sessional Courses, http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/languagecentre/efl/presessionalcourses/. Accessed January 2008.
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Any questions?
Contextualisation
The CEM Model
Embedding
Mapping
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