Teaching development grants final and financial report: Providing EMI support for non-English major students within an ESP framework: A pilot study

With the implementation of the new Language Policy in 2012, all students will take an expanded English language enhancement package of 138 hours (currently 120 hours) plus 60 hours of optional IELTS preparation workshops. As a service unit, it is important for CLE to align with host programmes/departments to identify the discipline-specific language needs of non-English major students in order to make explicit to students the link between language proficiency and academic enhancement in their areas of study. At the same time, the increase in the percentage of EMI courses at HKIED has also revealed difficulties experienced by students who are less proficient when they follow electives or GE course taught through English. Thus, to make CLE English courses more relevant to the needs of students and to help them acquire knowledge of English-medium content courses in their discipline(s), it is important for CLE to investigate and determine the linguistic demands and challenges faced by non-English major students.