Unveiling EFL graduate students' EAP needs and perceptions of EAP courses: A large-scale survey in Taiwan

Abstract

EFL graduate students often require EAP reading and writing proficiency to fulfill graduation requirements. These skills gain more importance as English medium instruction becomes increasingly prevalent. However, limited research has investigated EFL graduate students' EAP reading and writing needs, and their perceptions of EAP courses. To address this gap, this study identified the EAP reading and writing needs of Taiwanese graduate students and investigated both students' and teachers' perceptions of EAP courses. By surveying 1155 students and interviewing 62 participants, this study identified several themes. First, master's students mainly needed EAP reading, but their writing needs considerably increased when they continued doctoral studies. Second, professors showed greater concern about students' problems than the students. While not perceiving reading and writing as challenging, students reported more problems with reading and writing speed, with those in science and engineering facing more difficulties than their counterparts. However, less than 30% of the students took EAP courses, and they expressed low-to-medium satisfaction. Drawing from the participants' feedback, an EAP reading and writing curriculum framework is proposed. This framework is grounded in the needs of Taiwanese graduate students and is believed to serve the greatest interests of students in Taiwan and other similar contexts.