English for Academic Performance (EAP)

The EAP (English for Academic Purposes) program is designed to aid students’ acquisition of American academic and professional English at Eastman. Each EAP course focuses on the study of authentic reading and lecture materials from both academic and professional contexts that aid students in their integration of the core language skill areas of reading, writing, listening and speaking. Subjects that are related to music are given special attention. The goal of EAP courses at Eastman is to help students be full and confident participants in the Eastman community.

The first-year course sequence introduces students to a range of academic disciplines related to music and their studies at Eastman. The sequence begins with the receptive skills of reading, listening and vocabulary-building, and during the year focuses increasingly on productive skills of speaking and writing. All courses place emphasis on sustained speech in English through critiqued oral presentations. In written work, students focus on developing an authentic voice, composing a thesis and incorporating evidence with the use of proper citation.

Eastman also offers advanced-level EAP courses, entitled “The Versatile Musician: Professional Writing and Public Speaking.” These courses are cross-listed in the Humanities department and available as electives to advanced undergraduate and graduate students.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE INTERVIEW AND COURSE PLACEMENT

All students who were required by Admissions to provide a TOEFL score will be interviewed during orientation week before the fall semester. The interview takes place through the Office of Academic Affairs, and is used to complement the students’ files to determine appropriate placement. Students are placed in to EAP courses based on a combination of the interview and their admissions file. Students are notified by the Registrar in the first week of the semester if they have an EAP course requirement, recommendation or exemption. Please note that international students who are exempt from the first-year EAP sequence may be required or recommended to enroll in EAP 201/202. Many international students who are exempt from an EAP requirement may also find it beneficial to take EAP, and these students are welcome to take any EAP course.

A minimum TOEFL score for acceptance into Eastman does not exempt students from EAP study. While the TOEFL test can serve as a predictor of student success, the skills required for a successful TOEFL score are not necessarily the same skills required for successful academic studying in the English-medium environment.

Undergraduate students will receive credit for all EAP courses toward their curriculum. Students enrolled in both EAP 101 and EAP 102 who receive an A or A- can count the course sequence as their first-year writing requirement, in place of taking FWS 121.

Graduate students may receive credit for EAP courses that are 200-level or above.

EAP 101: English for Academic Purposes I

This course provides international students at Eastman with substantive practice in academic English at the university level. Students are expected to read, understand and discuss authentic texts from a range of academic disciplines, with special attention to subjects related to music and musicians. Coursework will focus on thorough comprehension of texts and lectures; reading and discussion strategies; vocabulary acquisition; and developing fluency in reading and writing. Instructor permission required.

EAP 102: English for Academic Purposes II

A continuation of EAP 103, this course concentrates on greater mastery of the skills necessary for academic work at Eastman. Students are expected to read with increasingly critical ability, give individual and group presentations, produce longer written assignments, and develop further language sophistication and accuracy. Coursework will focus on oral and written demonstrations of critical and creative thinking; the use of evidence and appropriate citation of sources; and the organization, style, and development of academic essays. Instructor permission required.

EAP 201/HUM 281: The Versatile Musician I: Professional Writing and Public Speaking

Musicians in the 21^st century must be familiar with a wide variety of rhetorical skills, whether they are performers, scholars, composers, teachers, or ambassadors to the broader community. This course explores the culture of professionalism in the United States, and how different contexts influence professional and academic discussions of music, with emphasis on the resources offered in and around Eastman. Speaking and writing assignments will rhetorical skills involved in academic work, collaboration, concerts, lectures, and other events in the community. The course is useful for advanced non-native speakers of English. Students developing professional skills in an intercultural environment will also find this course useful.

EAP 202/HUM 282: The Versatile Musician II: Professional Writing and Public Speaking

Building on the previous semester, this course is designed to refine and practice the skills necessary for presenting oneself professionally. Students will explore an aspect of their professional musicianship in depth, and deliver a range of speeches in a public setting. Emphasis will be placed on the practical skills necessary for public speaking, as well as the ways in which academic research enhances our ability to articulate a professional identity. This course is useful for advanced non-native speakers of English. Students interested in developing professional skills in an intercultural environment are also welcome.