IMPROVING RECEPTIVE AND PRODUCTIVE SKILLS IN EAP

Pelin Hamurabi Sözen
Başkent University, Turkey,phamurabi@hotmail.com

Abstracts

It is obvious that there is a rapid growth in science, technology and economic activities globally and this leads to a demand for the use of the English language. Nowadays, English is necessary for obtaining a job, getting a promotion and performing effectively in the world. The demand for EAP (English for Academic Purposes) courses is increasing globally due to the fact that such courses are necessary not only for educational purposes in countries where English is the mother tongue language, but also in other countries where English is the medium of instruction in universities. Teaching and learning of EAP presents its own challenges, opportunities. It aims at increasing the capabilities of L2 students to manage academic work more successfully by focusing on the development of academic skills and strategies; it also supports the acquisition of specific academic subject matter. In language education, the four skills are called the macro skills. In a learning environment they are called receptive and productive skills and these skills can be improved in EAP context. A learner needs to learn all these areas to attain efficient communication both in taking and presenting information or messages. The skills can be grouped according to the directions of communication. In a learning environment they are called the receptive (reading/listening) and productive skills (writing/speaking). Many researchers stated that more effort should be devoted to developing learners’ receptive competence than their productive competence. Productive ability will arise naturally from receptive knowledge. So there is a need to overcome the language barriers. The students need to be competent in certain language areas and skills. A learner needs efficient communication both in taking and presenting information.

Keywords: receptive skills, productive skills, language competency, teaching foreign language.