Necessary skills in English for Korean postgraduate engineering students in London

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate needs for skills in English of Korean postgraduate engineering students in an academic community. In raising these issues, this research compares the perceptions of Korean postgraduate engineering students themselves and subject lecturers in an institution of science and technology in London by using semi-structured interviews. The research showed that a balanced command of English skills integrated with academic practices of the engineering discipline was seen to be required for students. Considering the demands of participation in a global academic community leads to the conclusion that Korean engineering students need to be equipped with multiple skills and discipline-specific literacy. This paper discusses the implications for upgraded EAP programmes adapted to the needs of Korean engineering students