From Private ESL to Public EAP
What are the differences and challenges when an English as a second language (ESL) instructor leaves a private language school to teach English for academic purposes (EAP) courses at a University?
When I worked at the university, I would often see the students leaving their EAP classes. And I often wondered what it must be like for them, leaving their home, coming so far to study and learn English. I was also lucky enough to interact with some Brazilian students who were in Canada for a special program, part of which was designed for EAP, and part science study. They were wonderful people!
From my web research, it seems that many private schools are dedicated to teaching students who are preparing for standardized tests. The curriculum of these classes would therefore be developed so the students are prepared for the test, but not always offering a wider English curriculum. Some of the schools also offer English classes that are more dedicated to social interaction and everyday language, and often couple these with social experiences and field trips. So depending on which courses you teach, your classes would be very different. Some teachers may have a fairly flexible curriculum, and others fairly rigid. (Heartland International School Webpage)
I think to work in a private school, you may have to be fairly adaptable, as you may have to teach different types of classes, teach at different times of the day, and have a wide variety of students with many different backgrounds and ages.
Many of these schools are profit based, so they must maintain their reputation of students succeeding in passing their tests, or attaining whatever other goals they have.
Working in a university environment there is usually a very defined syllabus. Finding appropriate material may be a problem (Oxford University Press ELT). The EAP students would be generally working towards the goal of preparing for university entrance. Therefore the teaching would focus very much on academic skills that would be used in studying, note taking, writing essay and reports, time management, vocabulary,etc. So to be an effective teacher, it would be very important to understand the university experience yourself, know the pitfalls and how to be successful.
Some of the other problems suggested by the Oxford University Press ELT blog are:
1. Shortage of time;
2. not enough money for additional teachers to help with teaching/writing;
3. Difficulty of obtaining access to subject specific information, data, and the appropriate academic conventions of the target discourse community;
4. Lack of co-operation from staff in specialist departments;
5. Lack of self-confidence, experience, imagination, creativity;
6. Fear of lack of credibility with students.
6. Lack of student motivation because they do not equate EAP with regular courses.
7. Need for a strong academic background in teachers
Most of the students would also be young adults, just finished high school, so they also want to experience Canada culturally, and want the skills to communicate in social experiences. Many EAP university programs also offer some social activities for students. Although teachers may not be involved in these, they must be aware of them, help prepare students for them, and could also make use of them in their classrooms.
Teachers would also have to be aware of other more personal concerns of their students, such as culture shock, home sickness, too much partying, etc because these will obviously affect the student's outcome in their classes. They could become topics to discuss in class, and teachers could refer students to counselling if need be.
Many ESL students suffer culture shock. If we have experienced this ourselves it is much easier to be empathetic and understand what the students feel. When I first thought about culture shock, I thought, no, I haven't experienced this because I have never been in a foreign country long enough. But in one way I have experienced culture shock. When I started university, I moved from a small prairie town to Winnipeg. Although some might not think of this as culture shock, it really is, but perhaps in a more subtle way. If you're from the city, think of what it might be like living in a small town. It's a very different experience. And there are even many differences in communication. In a small town, it's very common for a complete stranger to stop and talk to you on the street. If this happens in the city, some might think your are a bit weird. If you are driving down the road in the country, you automatically raise your hand in a short wave to an oncoming vehicle as a form of courtesy. I never see that in the city. I'm sure you can think of many more if you've experienced the move too.
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