Effective models for teaching and learning academic writing in non-native setting: context and techniques

this paper evaluates the scope of teaching academic writing to Chinese students in a non-native speaking environment. We define the context of EAP studying and outline its purposes, which should be distinguished from those associated with ESP instruction or content-based instruction. This distinction is important as it determines the teaching framework of EAP instruction. We suggest that a teaching model aligned with such framework would emphasize the «reading-to-write» approach based on discourse analysis techniques as opposed to genre-based techniques. The suggested model foregrounds the interactive nature of learning, characterized by tangible forms of learning explored through instructional conversations. In the second part of the article, we show how these ideas apply to the teaching of summary writing as a core activity in academic writing programs. We believe the suggested approach can provide necessary scaffolding for novice writers in academic English and EAP teachers who are looking for more effective ways of teaching academic skills.