Teaching Philosophy of the English as a Foreign Language Unit

Teaching Philosophy of the English as a Foreign Language Unit

The English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Unit at Bar-Ilan University views English not merely as a degree requirement, but as an essential academic foundation that enables students to participate fully in the worlds of knowledge, research, and professional communication. Accordingly, English instruction in the Unit is not limited to general language proficiency or preparation for examinations. Rather, it focuses on developing academic competence in English: the ability to read, understand, process, write about, present, and discuss academic and professional content.

The Unit’s pedagogical philosophy is grounded in the understanding that language is learned most meaningfully when it is used for authentic purposes. Teaching is therefore based on authentic academic texts, topics, sources, and tasks. Throughout their courses, students use English to understand ideas, identify arguments, interpret findings, formulate positions, present knowledge, and participate in academic discourse.

At the heart of our teaching is an active view of the language learner, in which students gradually develop greater independence in working with texts and completing tasks in English. Classroom instruction therefore emphasizes questioning, extracting meaning, identifying structure, working with vocabulary, discussion, writing, presentation, and reflection. This approach is also reflected in the Unit’s teaching guidelines, which emphasize active learning and the integration of the four language skills in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

English instruction in the Unit is based on the integration of language skills rather than their artificial separation. Reading plays a central role, particularly at the undergraduate level, but it also serves as the basis for a range of additional academic activities: writing in response to a text, discussing texts, presenting sources, summarizing, responding critically, identifying the structure of academic articles, and using academic and research-related vocabulary. Thus, even when the final examination focuses primarily on reading comprehension, the broader learning process integrates reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

The Unit regards strategy instruction as a central component of language teaching. The goal is not simply to help students understand a particular text, but to equip them with tools that will enable them to approach new texts independently. These include identifying main ideas, distinguishing between global ideas and supporting examples, analyzing paragraph structure, understanding logical relationships, using context to infer meaning, identifying an author’s purpose, and understanding the structure of research articles, in particular empirical research articles. In this way, English instruction contributes not only to language development but also to broader academic literacy.

The Unit distinguishes among different stages of academic study and adapts its teaching accordingly. At the undergraduate level, the emphasis is on developing a strong academic foundation in accordance with the nationally defined proficiency levels. At the master’s level, the focus shifts toward using English for more advanced academic purposes, including reading scholarly sources, synthesizing information in writing, and presenting professional or research-based knowledge.

Master’s students are placed in courses on the basis of a placement test that assesses both reading and writing. Considerable effort is invested in ensuring the accuracy of this placement process so that each student is assigned to the level most appropriate to their needs and can derive meaningful benefit from the course. Instruction at the master’s level is also informed by a recent needs-analysis study conducted by the Unit. The study included a student survey and interviews with department heads and was designed to reassess students’ needs, departmental expectations, and the types of academic English competencies currently required.

The need for an updated needs analysis arose from the fact that the previous study had been conducted at a time when the academic environment for learning, writing, and research differed substantially from that of today, particularly before AI tools became widely used in academia. The findings of the current needs analysis serve as a basis for adapting the content, assignments, and pedagogical emphases of the Unit’s master’s-level courses.

At the doctoral level, instruction focuses on English as the language of research, publication, and participation in the international academic community. The doctoral courses also incorporate individualized support beyond regular class sessions. The Unit’s policy therefore does not assume a single, uniform progression of courses for all students, but rather adapts English instruction to the learner’s particular stage of academic development.

The Unit’s approach to assessment derives from the same pedagogical philosophy. Assessment in English is not intended to measure narrow linguistic knowledge alone, but the ability to use English in academic contexts. In addition to reading examinations, courses therefore include writing assignments, presentations, discussions, text-based tasks, work with academic sources, and formative and alternative assessment throughout the semester.

Assessment combines institutional consistency, through required components, common rubrics, and shared examinations, with pedagogical flexibility that enables instructors to adapt their teaching to different groups, proficiency levels, and disciplinary contexts. Examination quality control is a central component of the Unit’s quality-assurance system: examinations are developed by designated examination committees and evaluated according to standardized answer keys and assessment criteria.

Technology and artificial intelligence are integrated into this approach as part of contemporary academic literacy. The Unit does not regard AI solely as a challenge to assessment, but also as a tool that students need to learn to use critically, responsibly, and thoughtfully. The Unit therefore distinguishes between assignments that require independent work without AI and learning activities in which AI may be used to support learning, revising, checking language, expanding vocabulary, reflection, and improving texts. Academic responsibility remains with the student, while an important part of the instructor’s role is to help students develop sound judgment in their use of these tools.

The Unit’s pedagogical philosophy is translated into practice through an ongoing program of instructor training and professional development. In recent years, the Unit has offered numerous workshops for its teaching staff, including workshops on integrating AI into academic English instruction, designing assignments and assessing writing in the age of artificial intelligence, CEFR workshops with international experts from the Evaluation and Accreditation of Quality Language Services Association (EAQUALS), and workshops on developing instruction that integrates the four language skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Alongside these workshops, the Unit holds staff meetings and level-specific meetings, promotes the sharing of teaching materials, supports the collaborative development of assignments, and conducts assessment calibration among instructors. This ongoing professional-development framework ensures that the Unit’s pedagogical principles do not remain at the level of policy statements, but are implemented in teaching, assessment, and course development, while maintaining professional consistency, continuous development, and the pedagogical flexibility needed to address different proficiency levels and disciplinary needs.

Ultimately, the Unit’s philosophy is that English instruction at the university is not merely a technical service or a degree requirement, but an integral part of students’ development as members of the academic community. It provides access to knowledge, enables participation in research discourse, fosters independent learning, supports interdisciplinary communication, and prepares students to participate confidently in the international academic arena.