English language teaching professionals shared their insights and experiences in the field of their expertise at a symposium held at UIC on 16 March and discussed the challenges of teaching university students from mainland China.
Nine speakers were invited to this academic exchange platform which was themed “Innovative approaches and challenges in enhancing English proficiency among Chinese students at tertiary level”. They were from Sino-foreign universities in China, i.e. Duke Kunshan University, New York University Shanghai, The University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Wenzhou-Kean University, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and UIC, as well as Sun Yat-sen University and Hong Kong Baptist University.
UIC President Prof Ng Ching-Fai said at his opening address, “I hope this symposium will give us all not just a chance to learn from each other but also an opportunity to begin a long friendship and fruitful cooperation to help students with their English learning endeavour.”
UIC President Prof Ng Ching-Fai welcomes the guests
The attendees also included teachers from about 20 high and middle schools in Zhuhai as well as teachers from Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai and Beijing Institute of Technology, Zhuhai.
Symposium on English language teaching and learning
Prof Don Snow, Director of the Language and Culture Centre at Duke Kunshan University, introduced DKU’s US Academic Writing course. This course aimed to build and develop students’ writing skills by focusing and responding to a primary social issue.
Prof Don Snow
Associate Director of EAP at New York University Shanghai Brandon Conlon illustrated curriculum design, teaching, and learning in the EAP seminars that were designed to support the liberal arts.
Brandon Conlon
Prof Dai Fan, founding director of the Sun Yat-sen University’s Centre for English-language Creative Writing, talked of two creative writing courses that help understand literature, intercultural communication, translation studies and language analysis.
Prof Dai Fan
UIC’s Director of the English Language Centre Dr Viola Wong said teachers could include an integration of words and visuals in text, print and digital writing to improve students’ writing ability in the technological environment.
Dr Viola Wong
The University of Nottingham Ningbo China’s Richard Silburn focused on the Preliminary Year Programme that equipped students with the language, study and thinking skills needed to manage their studies independently.
Richard Silburn
Wenzhou-Kean University’s Dr Vinita Gaikwad analysed some of successes and challenges ESP has faced in general in teaching English in China in the three major aspects of education: curriculum, assessment and pedagogy.
Dr Vinita Gaikwad
Angela Ng, Acting Head of the Language Centre at Hong Kong Baptist University, described the evolution of core English courses HKBU offered to undergraduates in the past two decades and the importance of effective collaboration between the Language Centre and other faculties.
Angela Ng
Dr Sheena Van Der Mark from UIC focused on using online media and e-learning materials to support students to learn English outside of the English language classroom.
Dr Sheena Van Der Mark
Dr Stuart Perrin, Dean for Learning and Teaching as well as Director of the Language Centre at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, discussed whether language boundaries were more clearly specified in faculty collaborations, or more easily blurred.
Dr Stuart Perrin
Reporter: Zeng Kaishan (CELL, Year 1)
Photographers: Tong Haiyan (IJ, Year 4), Vivi Xie
Editor: Deen He
(from MPRO, with special thanks to the ELC)
