Content-based second language instruction at the tertiary level

Abstract

English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses have been developed for the purpose of teaching particular skills to students intending to take university and other advanced academic courses in the medium of English. The gap between traditional EAP courses and first-year degree courses has been partly filled in recent years by the development of content-based courses for overseas students, but this article proposes that this function is better performed by an integrated EAP/subject content course. In the course described, sociology is taught as a vehicle for the transmission of EAP skills, so providing a more effective bridge between language courses and university first-year courses. The article describes the techniques used in integrating the two aspects, language and content, and the usefulness of this approach, both academically, and in providing a cultural orientation for study in Britain. © 1996 Oxford University Press.