Developing listening and speaking skills in EAP courses: a mixed method study at a private university in Bangladesh

Abstract

This study explores how a pre-university English course helps developing students’ English skills particularly speaking and listening and prepare them to cope with the English skills necessary for the higher studies at the university level. Most of the private universities in Bangladesh offer English courses for the newly admitted students which aim to improve students’ English skills particularly academic English skills necessary to cope up with the English medium education. Academics from the higher education institutions often complain that most of the newly admitted students lack English proficiency necessary to study at the undergraduate level. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analyzed to understand the phenomena. This study concludes that pre-university EAP courses are necessary to prepare students for the subsequent higher study. These courses are also effective to develop students’ speaking and listening skills. This study also found that EAP courses are designed to improve four macro skills, which are Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing. The study recommends to design EAP courses with more focus on speaking andlistening.