The role of EAP in enhancing Chinese students' academic writing skills: A review of current practices and future directions

Abstract

This study explores the role that English for Academic Purposes or EAP plays in enhancing the academic writing skills of Chinese students. Through extensive research based on the compatibility of Chinese students with the English language, this paper looks forward to the challenges students face in academic writing in English in China. Findings have revealed that EAP programs aim to make learners familiar with being perfect in linguistic terms, making them conscious of the several genres, and executing various strategies required for actively engaging in academic communities. A plethora of theoretical alignments have evolved, including theories of process-based writings, strategies based on specifications, and frameworks that depend on rational analysis and reasoning, all of which aid the functioning of EAP. These courses make learners familiar with critical thinking perspectives, proper grammar, enriched vocabulary, authorial stances, and better reasoning in writing. EAP courses have been found by the research to be more effective through feedback from educators and comments from community peers, along with several technological innovations. While AI tools such as ChatGPT and Criterion provide students with the confidence to write fluently, these tools also diminish critical and creative thinking abilities. The researchers prioritize the localization of the EAP curriculum in mostly non-Anglophone contexts. The study thus focuses on the strength of EAP courses in transforming learning environments to be equitable and accessible for all.