This study set out to explore English for academic purposes (EAP) student perceptions of their experiences at a university in western Canada. A qualitative approach was used, with 17 students completing a questionnaire toward the end of their EAP program, and one of those students taking part in an interview approximately one year later. Data from the questionnaires and interview were transcribed and descriptively coded, with the codes gathered into salient themes. Thematic analysis identified benefits related to developing academic writing and speaking skills, boosting confidence levels, fostering EAP friendships, providing a transition period, and learning about local culture. However, the analysis also revealed the need for improvements in overall teaching and learning experiences, reading and listening skills development, and sociocultural content. These findings point to the importance of conceptualizing EAP with a wide range of outcomes related to linguistic, academic, social, cultural, and personal growth to support students’ additional language socialization in a postsecondary context. The findings also highlight areas for curriculum renewal and revision and underscore the role these programs can play in building on students’ strengths as they develop their overall competence in an additional language to achieve the goals that matter to them. Cette étude avait pour objectif d’explorer les perceptions d’apprenants de l’anglais sur objectifs académiques (AOA) de leur expérience dans une université de l’ouest du Canada. Une approche qualitative a été privilégiée et 17 apprenants ont complété un questionnaire vers la fin de leur programme d’AOA, un de ces apprenants ayant également participé à un entretien un an plus tard. Les données des questionnaires et de l’entretien ont été transcrites et codées de manière descriptive et les codes ont été regroupés par thèmes saillants. L’analyse thématique a identifié des avantages liés au développement del’écriture académique et des compétences orales, à la promotion des niveaux de confiance et des amitiés dans le cadre du programmes AOA, à l’établissement d’une période de transition et à l’apprentissage de la culture locale. Cependant, l’analyse a également révélé le besoin d’améliorer les expériences globales d’enseignement et d’apprentissage, le développement des compétences de lecture et d’écoute ainsi que le contenu socio-culturel. Ces résultats soulèvent l’importance de conceptualiser l’AOA en termes d’un large éventail de résultats liés à la l’épanouissement académique, social, culturel et personnel afin de soutenir la socialisation des apprenants dans leur langue additionnelle et dans un contexte postsecondaire. Les résultats soulignent également les opportunités de renouvellement et de révision des curriculums et font ressortir le rôle que ces programmes peuvent jouer en s’appuyant sur les forces des apprenants tandis qu’ils développent leur compétence globale dans une langue additionnelle afin de réaliser les objectifs qui leur sont importants.

No abstract

Because of the large number of post-secondary English for academic purposes (EAP) programs and the varying ways they are structured, it can be difficult to identify how a particular program fits within the overall landscape of university education.  To identify general trends across Canada, the webpages for 74 EAP programs at 50 public English-medium universities were examined for key information related to each program.  Data analysis included descriptive statistics as well as graphical representation.  The results pointed to typical EAP programs that are independent units that offer non-credit courses with some credit options, have international tuition fees around $9,000 per semester, provide approximately 22 hours of instruction per week, and generally require IELTS scores over 5.0 or TOEFL iBT scores over 59 for entry.  These results provide an avenue of comparison and indicate the need for future research to better understand how EAP programming is conceptualized in the Canadian context.

Design is one of the key elements of any engineering program. According to the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB), design is a creative, interactive and often open-ended process subject to constraints, which may be governed to varying degrees by standards or legislations depending upon the discipline. Industry-based projects are excellent opportunities to help engineering students develop design skills. The benefits of such projects can be very valuable for both the students and the industry partner. However, they do not always lead to success. Through the presentation and analysis of a studentindustry success story, the favourable conditions of a joint project are presented in this document. As expected, the most significant success conditions are the students' determination and the partner's commitment, both being correlated. In order to work towards a project's success, the university training team has to ensure that the win-win conditions remain present for the duration of the project.

Growing numbers of international students and newcomers attending post-secondary studies means that there are more students using English as an additional language (EAL) at Canadian universities. Consequently, writing centres have recognized the need for specialized training for their tutors as they support these students. However, it is difficult to find research on tutor perspectives about these training programs in a Canadian context. The current project aimed to gather insight regarding tutors’ perceived knowledge and needs in helping students using EAL with their writing. The findings point to a need for tutor development which specifically contributes to supporting EAL writers in the form of ongoing interactive workshops on language awareness, instructional strategies, and communication skills. Twelve writing tutors completed a questionnaire in which they were asked about their previous EAL experiences, their current understanding of tutoring students using EAL, and their training needs in this area. A qualitative analysis revealed that tutors hoped to develop their ability in explaining grammatical rules, as well as improve their communication skills and developing pedagogical skills. These identified areas of development suggest a need to establish formal training in additional language acquisition theory, language awareness, and intercultural communication strategies.