Dr Christine Zaher and Julia Hathaway Take Richmond's Academic Literacies Program To An International Audience

04/05/2011

In April, Christine Zaher and Julia Hathaway presented to an international audience of university scholars a paper which focused upon the success of the pioneering academic research and writing program developed at Richmond. The event was the 2011 BALEAP Biennial Conference. Zaher and Hathaway reviewed how, for educational, political and economic reasons, the integration of international and home students within UK HEIs is becoming imperative, and how this poses well documented challenges for HE curriculum developers. One of the main problems being addressed by many UK HEIs is how to assist students from such diverse linguistic, cultural and educational backgrounds to navigate their way through an Anglophone tertiary institute which privileges expectations and conventions that are frequently alien to home and international students alike. As both cohorts of students are attempting to gain membership of a new community, they argued that it is beneficial to introduce both of them to the discourse practices which characterise much of the academic activity that they will be required to undertake. They explained how Richmond’s approach to this challenge is predominantly one of inclusion, neither privileging nor “othering” either cohort. Thus the Richmond academic writing and research courses are required of all students irrespective of their educational or language background, and draw significantly upon the EAP tradition, providing students with both general and specific academic research and writing competencies. These courses are situated throughout each degree program and form a spine which supports the academic development of students throughout their university studies.

Link to this page: http://www.richmond.ac.uk/n/1145.aspx