English across the curriculum : fostering collaboration

Abstract

English across the curriculum as a philosophy is widely considered to be the backbone of curricula in schools. However, its introduction into the tertiary sector in Asia is relatively recent. With the re- structuring of secondary and tertiary education in Hong Kong, referred to as the 3+3+4 model, reducing secondary education by one year to expand the university curriculum to four years, Hong Kong universities have allocated increased resources towards General Education (GE) provision and literacy. In order to provide impetus for inter-institutional collaboration and relevant pedagogical development, the Hong Kong’s University Grants Committee launched the Competitive Funding Scheme on Teaching and Learning 2012-2015. This has resulted in new English across the curriculum initiatives. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University is leading three such inter-institutional projects, two of which focus on English Across the Curriculum. In addition, since 2012, it has implemented a university-wide requirement for students to complete a 2,500-word academic writing assignment as part of the GE curriculum. English Language Centre (ELC) staff provide detailed written, genre specific feedback on two drafts before the assignment is submitted to the subject teacher. The support tools and materials have been developed after a thorough genre-analysis. This compulsory scaffolded writing model has resulted in a significant impact on stakeholders’ perceptions about writing and its role in enhancing students’ learning. Colloquium participants, who are engaged in various EAC initiatives, will express their stances on the role of collaboration in scaffolding students’ language ability at the tertiary level and models of collaboration that have worked.