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About the STEM SIG
This post is an abridged version of the introduction to the STEM SIG published in the Journal of English for Academic Purposes in July 2023 –https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1475158523000541 The STEM SIG was set up in April 2022 to connect, support and encourage EAP professionals working at higher education institutions in the fields of science, technology, engineering, or…
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Supporting Students in Changing Educational Landscapes
In our 🌍Perspectives Forum session on Tuesday 6 January, we discussed how we support our students in changing educational landscapes. What Three Words To start, we shared three words to describe what students bring (or brought) to class, the ten minutes before a class starts, and typical teaching materials — considering each when we were…
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🗳️ STEM SIG Committee Elections 2026: Call for Nominations
We invite nominations for committee roles to be confirmed at the STEM SIG Annual General Meeting (AGM) in March 2026. Serving on the SIG committee is a great way to contribute to the EAP community, shape conversations around STEM and academic communication, and collaborate with colleagues across institutions and contexts. 🔹 Roles Open for Nomination…
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Communication in EPS – an innovative pilot module
Denise de Pauw and Natasha Rust show that you don’t need more assessment, more grades, or perfect disciplinary alignment to support international students in STEM — you need structured opportunities for students to talk, reflect, and belong. The brief In this blog post, we share our experiences of designing an innovative module for the Faculty of…
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From Verbalising to Explaining: Teachers Explore the Hidden Language of Equations
On 18 February 2025, the BALEAP STEM SIG hosted a second ‘Hidden Language Around Equations’ workshop — this time focusing on how students explain equations in spoken classroom settings. Facilitators Aaron Woodcock and Laura Duncan guided participants through reflective discussions and hands-on activities to explore the language demands of explaining equations clearly at CEFR B2…
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Misconceptions in STEM – A gathering of views
Maggie Boswell University of Bristol When the STEM SIG met recently, we gathered views on misconceptions about STEM. Here, are some perspectives that emerged. A fact, of course is that communication across STEM differs greatly, and genres differ within the STEM genre. STEM is not just one thing. Indeed, STEM communication encompasses a much-widened spectrum,…
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STEM SIG Tea-time Teams Meet -Misconceptions about STEM Communication
“Engineers just write reports – they don’t need to know how to write essays” “Scientists don’t need to speak” “You can’t use personal language in STEM writing – you need to use the passive” “The Methodology is written in the past simple” “STEM writing is more formal” We would love to hear your views on…
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From Symbols to Speech: Teachers Tackle the Hidden Language of Equations
On 26 November 2024, the BALEAP STEM SIG held a lively workshop that opened up new ways of understanding and teaching the “hidden language” of equations. Facilitators Aaron Woodcock and Laura Duncan led participants through thought-provoking discussions and practical activities to explore how verbalising equations can reveal key language features critical for effective STEM communication.…
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Tea-time Teams meet for EAP tutors new to STEM
On Wednesday 9th October 2024, Tasha Rust (University of Leeds) and Aaron Woodcock (University of Reading) hosted a Tea-time Teams meet for EAP tutors new to STEM event. These are some notes from the event. We had colleagues from University of Reading, University of Durham, University of Edinburgh, University of Leeds and UBC Vantage College,…
For EAP practitioners working in STEM