Abdullah Gül Üniversitesi is a brand new, English-medium university in Turkey. Each student is provided with a computer and most of the teaching and learning is expected to make use of online as well as other, more traditional, resources. Faculty teaching began in October 2014, but prior to entering the undergraduate programme, students are expected to display a particular level of English language knowledge – either through an exemption test or by passing out of the university’s preparatory English programme. The School of Foreign Languages has been delivering this programme since September 2013 and has adopted the rather unusual approach of delivering the four main skills areas (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening) in four separate courses. In this presentation, I explored some of the challenges and issues which have arisen from trying to also teach English for Academic Purposes as another separate course within this environment – such as: establishing a unique identity for the subject; whether the skills can or should be separated in this way; and, the metamorphosis of EAP into a completely different, student-driven approach for learning study skills and strategies.

1. Developing a curriculum from scratch
Towards Student Autonomy
Colin Graham
Subject co-ordinator for Study Skills and Strategies
School of Foreign Languages
Abdullah Gul University
University of Macau ELC English Language Teaching International Conference 2015

2. Contents
• Background about the University
• The English Prep Programme
• The vision for EAP
• The 2013-2014 academic year
• The 2014-2015 academic year
• What next?
University of Macau ELC English Language Teaching International Conference 2015

3. Where are We?
University of Macau ELC English Language Teaching International Conference 2015

4. Who are We?
• State university supported
by private funding
• All teaching done in English
• Inaugurated 2010
• 4 schools
• 13 graduate and
undergraduate programmes
• Cited among the
preferences of 21,534 high
school graduates
nationwide and as number
one choice of 3,046 of these
future students
• First students 2013-2014
academic year
University of Macau ELC English Language Teaching International Conference 2015

5. The English Prep Programme
• 46 credits to go to faculty or success in exemption exams
• 2 years maximum to complete, designed for 1 year
• 4 quarters per year, with a fifth ‘quarter’ summer school
• 4 skills taught separately with additional optional courses
• skills courses have four levels, with 2 credits per level
• EAP course, also with four levels and 2 credits per level
• optional courses are not level-specific but may have pre-
requisites, with 1 credit per course
• each student has an electronic device
• each student has the opportunity to go to the US for 8 weeks
and get credit based on their performance (ELS not AGU)
University of Macau ELC English Language Teaching International Conference 2015

6. The Vision for EAP
To teach students, through rigorous thinking and expression,
how to:
• Level 1
measure and describe real world objects and events
accurately in English
• Level 2
understand and use common systems of ordering and
classifying real world objects and events
• Level 3
understand and use common systems and processes related
to real world objects and events
• Level 4
understand, evaluate and analyse real world issues
University of Macau ELC English Language Teaching International Conference 2015

7. 2013 – 2014 Quarter 1
Keypoints
• students expected to gain 40 credits by passing level 4 in the
four skills (reading, listening, writing, speaking) and EAP
• remaining credits to be amassed from options
• first quarter had one option as mandatory – SSIEP
(study skill and introduction to the English Programme)
Issues
• SSIEP did not achieve many of its anticipated results
• students were not placed in EAP levels, as with the other main
skills, but all started in level 1
• most of the materials had to be developed ‘on-the-fly’
• a larger number of instructors delivered the course than for
other skills areas – levels of familiarity with content varied
University of Macau ELC English Language Teaching International Conference 2015

8. 2013 – 2014 Quarter 2
Keypoints
• SSIEP was not run
• levels of student language knowledge dictated an acceleration
of credit acquisition for some (to go to the US early)
• many students had much lower levels of language knowledge
than originally anticipated
Issues
• accelerated programme for higher level students, using two
option ‘slots’ was developed to let them get EAP 3 – four
weeks of EAP 2 followed by four of EAP 3
• many students complained about the content of EAP being
“too technical”
• vision for EAP had to be adapted for materials development
University of Macau ELC English Language Teaching International Conference 2015

9. 2013 – 2014 Quarter 3
Keypoints
• EAP 3 course was effectively in place
• EAP 4 was being taught earlier than anticipated
• many students still were not familiar with the ‘system’ or were
losing motivation – falling attendance
• students discovered they could get credits by doing more
options
Issues
• students discovered they could get credits by doing more
options – tendency to drop EAP
• change of vision resulted in ‘front-loading’ of four levels into 3
and a new idea for EAP 4
• materials needed to appear less like ESP
University of Macau ELC English Language Teaching International Conference 2015

10. 2013 – 2014 Quarter 4 & summer school
Keypoints
• EAP 4 only was taught at summer school
• students were out of the programme for one quarter because
of going to US
• some students still had not gained credit for EAP 1 or 2
• decision to replace EAP with SSS
Issues
• returning students may not be able to get sufficient credits
because EAP is not being offered
• many elements of EAP were useful and need to be retained
• students still need more ‘meta-skills’ to be able to function
effectively as independent learners
University of Macau ELC English Language Teaching International Conference 2015

11. 2014 – 2015 Quarter 1
Keypoints
• SSS course, worth 1 credit, was started
• Language Awareness was introduced to replace EAP as a 2-
credit skills course
• EAP still needed to be delivered for students who could not
gain sufficient credits elsewhere
Issues
• large number of instructors required
• lack of sufficient materials and clarity of vision
• student (and instructor) perceptions of the purpose
University of Macau ELC English Language Teaching International Conference 2015

12. 2014 – 2015 Quarter 2
Keypoints
• all students moved to level 2 whether or not level 1 was
passed
• greater awareness of problems from the first quarter, but still
lack of clarity of the vision and purpose
• too many tasks to complete?
• EAP run again – as an elective
Issues
• students need to have passed level 1 before getting credit for
level 2
• criteria and materials need to available earlier in the course
University of Macau ELC English Language Teaching International Conference 2015

13. Changes from last year
2013 - 2014
• students had either an iPad or
an Airbook
• all students went to US
• options were available
• ‘unlimited’ number of options
could be taken
• EAP was a ‘main skill’
2014 - 2015
• Students have an Airbook
• only the top 50 go to US
• options renamed as electives
• restrictions on the number of
electives students can take
• EAP replaced by Language
Awareness as a ‘main skill’
• SSS added for new students –
not for returnees
• EAP delivered as an elective
University of Macau ELC English Language Teaching International Conference 2015

14. Where next?
• SSS will be delivered in quarter 3
• course needs to be consolidated and developed further for
2014 – 2015 academic year
• more emphasis towards student-paced learning
• more involvement from Turkish colleagues in Student Affairs
• greater clarity of vision and purpose, for students and
instructors alike
University of Macau ELC English Language Teaching International Conference 2015

15. Contact
colin.graham@agu.edu.tr
University of Macau ELC English Language Teaching International Conference 2015