Trialing project-based learning in a new EAP ESP course: A collaborative reflective practice of three college English teachers

Currently in many Chinese universities, the traditional College English course is facing the risk of being ‘marginalized’, replaced or even removed, and many hours previously allocated to the course are now being taken by EAP or ESP. At X University in northern China, a curriculum reform as such is taking place, as a result of which a new course has been created called ‘xue ke’ English. Despite the fact that ‘xue ke’ means subject literally, the course designer has made it clear that subject content is not the target, nor is the course the same as EAP or ESP. This curriculum initiative, while possibly having been justified with a rationale of some kind (e.g. to meet with changing social and/or academic needs of students and/or institutions), this is posing a great challenge for, as well as considerable pressure on, a number of College English teachers who have taught this single course for almost their entire teaching career. In such a context, three teachers formed a peer support group in Semester One this year, to work collaboratively co-tackling the challenge, and they chose Project-Based Learning (PBL) for the new course. This presentation will report on the implementation of this project, including the overall designing, operational procedure, and the teachers’ reflections. Based on discussion, pre-agreement was reached on the purpose and manner of collaboration as offering peer support for more effective teaching and learning and fulfilling and pleasant professional development. A WeChat group was set up as the chief platform for messaging, idea-sharing, and resource-exchanging. Physical meetings were supplementary, with sound agenda but flexible time, and venues. Mosoteach cloud class (lan mo yun ban ke) was established as a tool for virtual learning, employed both in and after class. Discussions were held at the beginning of the semester which determined only brief outlines for PBL implementation and allowed space for everyone to autonomously explore in their own way. Constant further discussions followed, which generated a great deal of opportunities for peer learning and lesson plan modifications. A reflective journal, in a greater or lesser detailed manner, was also kept by each teacher to record the journey of the collaboration. At the end of the semester, it was commonly recognized that, although challenges existed, the collaboration was overall a success and they were all willing to continue with it and endeavor to refine it to be a more professional and productive approach

Investigation Into the Multiple Intelligences of the English Major Postgraduates in a Normal University

Multiple Intelligences Theory (Gardner, 1983) mainly involves seven kinds of intelligence, which are linguistic intelligence, logical mathematical intelligence, special intelligence, bodily/kinesthetic intelligence, musical intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence. All the various types of intelligence are respectively independent but interconnected. Various intelligence and intellectual combination result in individuals’ various abilities and ways to think about the problems and to solve the problems. This study is carried out to investigate the overall condition of multiple intelligences of the English major postgraduates in normal university, to find out on which types of intelligences English major postgraduates perform better. A multiple intelligences questionnaire has been administered in order to elicit 133 English major postgraduates’ responses. According to the results, English major postgraduates in normal university perform negatively on multiple intelligences, especially musical intelligence and linguistic intelligence. While among the seven types of intelligences, participants perform best on intrapersonal intelligence. Such result can not only provide inspirations for English postgraduate education, but also deserves both teachers’ and postgraduates’ reflection in the aspect of their teaching or learning styles, the design of teaching activities, course arrangement, etc. as well.

Structuring, Integrating and Innovating: The Training Mode of Master of Public Administration (MPA)—Based on the Example of Chongqing

Master of Public Administration (MPA) is a specialized degree especially for governments and non-governmental public sectors to train high-level, high quality, professional public administration talents. This paper analyses the background of the training mode of MPA and determines the implication and consisting factors, and concludes the current situation of the training mode of MPA. Through the SWOT analysis of samples in universities in Chongqing, it confirms the major factors and interaction pattern and constructs the SPAC systematic framework. Then it analysis the systematic mode and dynamic innovation of MPA and verifies the feasibility of them based on the example of Southwest University

International education: a force for peace and cross-cultural understanding?

This paper discusses the notion that the international sojourn has the potential to transform sojourners into cultural mediators who carry the power to improve global relations. A year-long ethnographic study of the adjustment experiences of international postgraduate students in England revealed a universal early enthusiasm for cross-cultural contact that was matched by a widespread adoption of segregated patterns of interacting. The most common friendship networks were described by bonds with conationals, and yet all students attested to an increase in their cultural learning and mindfulness by the end of the sojourn. Nevertheless, intercultural competence was maximised only in those few students who pursued a multicultural strategy of interaction, leading the researcher to call on Higher Education Institutions to instigate policies to encourage lasting cross-cultural contact

The initial stage of the international sojourn: excitement or culture shock?

This paper presents findings from an ethnographic study of the adjustment journey of international postgraduate students at a university in the South of England, which involved interviews and participant observation over a twelve-month academic year. It was discovered that the initial stage of the sojourn was not characterized by feelings of excitement, as suggested by the U-Curve model (and its successors): though such feelings were present, they were overwhelmed by negative symptoms more commonly associated with culture shock. The implications of these findings for support structures in Higher Education are discussed

What motivates Chinese students to study in the UK? A fresh perspective through a ‘small-lens’

Chinese students represent a substantial portion of the UK university student population, with most of them being postgraduates. However, whilst the UK remains a top choice for Chinese students seeking to complete a higher degree programme, competition within the global Higher Education (HE) landscape is intensifying. Consequently, popular HE destinations such as the USA and the UK must now contend with growing academic markets in Australia and New Zealand (Marginson, 2006) as well as some non-English speaking countries which offer appealing university degrees through English-Medium-Instruction (EMI) (Mok, 2007). It is therefore salutary to ensure that Chinese students continue to find the UK appealing. This is vitally important both for the economy and the intellectual diversity and talents these students bring to UK HE institutions. This study thus revisits the core motives which drive Chinese students to UK universities. Significantly, unlike other investigations which have treated the topic of motivation rather marginally and through broad research scopes, this paper uses a ‘small-lens approach’ (Ushioda, 2016), which here is operationalised through the combination of practitioner research and narrative analysis. The study therefore focuses on a small group (N = 16) of Chinese students to unpack the nuances of meaning which characterise their initial motivation to study in Britain

Collaborating for Success: Enhancing the transition of Chinese communication/media students into Australian postgraduate education

This international project involved three partner universities -­‐ Murdoch University, Victoria University and Communication University of China – and a range of other higher education institutions in Australia and China. The project sought to enhance the capacity of academics and institutions in Australia and China in intercultural competency, learning support, and international collaboration and has been successful in achieving this. As a result, on postgraduate media and communication courses associated with the project students from mainland China who are studying in Australia have begun to develop proficiency in negotiating between different academic cultures and therefore are better equipped to be successful learners in the Australian academic context. Academics in Australia and China have gained a greater understanding of cultural difference and how this influences student learning, notably during their transition from study in China to postgraduate study in Australia. The project has strengthened established international partnerships and stimulated new international relationships in higher education and industry. In the Australian partner institutions, there is evidence of an increase in capacity to provide quality international education together with more effective support for Chinese students in their transition into Australian postgraduate study. ... The project has made and will continue to make a significant contribution to knowledge in a number of important areas. These include knowledge about mainland China’s education philosophy, pedagogical practices, learning behaviours and expectations, and a recommended approach to constructing and adapting research-­‐based resources for the international learning and teaching arena. It has also advanced knowledge about the types of pedagogical strategies and resources that are effective in supporting Chinese students on their journey towards becoming proficient learners on Australian postgraduate courses in media and communication

The adjustment journey of international postgraduate students at a university in England.

The aim of this study is to capture the adjustment journey of a group of international postgraduate students at a university in the South of England. An ethnographic approach was used, involving regular in-depth individual interviews with thirteen students of different nationalities and overt participant observation of the entire postgraduate cohort of 150 students. Research began on the first day of induction in September 2003 and ended in October 2004 upon completion and submission of the Masters dissertation. Students' experience of adjustment to academic and sociocultural life was therefore captured from arrival in the new country to the return home one full year later. Seven research categories were generated by this ethnographic study: the shock of arrival; language acquisition; academic orientation; eating patterns; interaction strategies; collective and individual identity; and finally, transformation in personal and cultural outlook. The overarching category was interaction, which influenced every other theme that emerged from analysis. This study found that stress was at its height in the initial stage of the academic sojourn; this was caused by the struggle to cope with the challenges of foreign language use and an unfamiliar academic and sociocultural environment at a time when students were beset with homesickness and loneliness. An association was made between the passage of time and a gradual decrease in acculturative stress; however, this was not a generalisable process; there was not only fluctuation in experience across the student body but also in the individual's subjective sense of success across different aspects of life in the new country. This led to the conceptualisation of the adjustment journey as an unpredictable and dynamic process, which is experienced differently among sojourners, and fluctuates throughout the sojourn as a result of a host of individual, cultural and external factors. There was some universality of experience however during the initial challenging stage of the sojourn and in the final stage when an outcome of positive personal and cultural change was documented: this was complemented by apprehension over re-entry to the origin country. Inhibiting forces in achieving adjustment to an unfamiliar academic, language and sociocultural environment were cultural dissonance and segregated friendship groups. The greater the cultural gap between the home and host cultures, the greater the acculturative stress students suffered. Interaction strategy was found to be a powerful influence on both the experience and outcome of adjustment: the bicultural bond with the host was noted for its absence, and segregation was the most common friendship pattern. This implied minimum exposure to culture and language learning, and a failure of the international campus to realise the benefits of cross-cultural contact. Individual motivation to optimise the benefits of the intercultural experience and to tolerate the anxiety inherent in the cross-national context was found to be the key factor in the adoption of a multicultural attitude towards interaction and in the cultivation of multicultural skills. This was the route exceptionally chosen, informing the creation of the category `exceptional student', who, in deviating from established norms of interaction, came to embody the intercultural mediator. Despite observation of a tendency towards gravitation to same-nationality members, an increase in intercultural competence and a reformulated sense of self were universally recorded. This suggests that distance from the origin culture is sufficient to promote self and culture learning, and that segregation is not incompatible with the development of tolerance. The implications of the study are that international students require both academic and pastoral support from the start and also throughout their stay in the host country. Furthermore, it is suggested that HEI have a role to play in influencing students' interaction strategies, so that the benefits of the international campus can be reached