Archive · 2 Jun 2025
Customizing English Courses for Academic Disciplines
Imagine going to college and having to take an English class.
Instead of one class for everyone, this article says English should be different depending on what you study.
If you're studying engineering, you'd learn how to write technical reports.
If you're in law, you'd learn legal writing.
This way, you learn the English you need for your future job.
For students who need extra help, there could be a special course before the regular classes begin.
The goal is to make sure everyone is ready for their studies and future careers.
The article examines the debate over English language instruction in Indian higher education under NEP 2020.
It questions the effectiveness of generic English courses across all disciplines.
It suggests customized English courses tailored to specific fields like engineering and law.
A non-credit bridge course is proposed for students from local-language backgrounds.
The aim is to enhance student preparedness for both academics and future careers.
- Who
- The author, N. Siva Prasad, a former professor at IIT Madras, discusses the shift in English language education.
- What
- The need for discipline-specific English courses in Indian higher education, aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
- When
- Published June 02, 2025.
- Where
- India.
- Why
- To address the limitations of a one-size-fits-all English course and propose a more effective, discipline-specific approach.
- Focus
- Customized English courses for different academic fields
- Context
- NEP 2020 reforms in Indian higher education
- Proposal
- Discipline-specific English courses, plus a non-credit bridge course.
- Examples
- English for Engineering, Legal English, Business English, Clinical English.
- Goal
- Improve employability and cater to varied student backgrounds.