Contrasting EMI lecturers’ perceptions with practices at the University of Bologna

Abstract

English-Medium Instruction (EMI) is rapidly being taken up in universities worldwide, though the speed at which EMI courses are appearing continues to outpace empirical research (Martin del Pozo 2017). In this context, research has primarily provided insights on lecturers’ self-perceptions, by prioritizing lecturers’ need for training in EMI. Our contribution here is threefold. First, we aim to provide an account of lecturers’ self-perceptions of their own teaching in English, resulting from a survey involving 40 EMI lecturers in Engineering and Economics at the University of Bologna. Second, by cross-referencing their replies with relevant literature, we aim to identify recurring patterns in lecturers’ self-perceptions. Third, by cross-referencing these perceptions with findings from lecture recordings, we aim to determine how far lecturers’ assumptions are consistent with their classroom practices. Results show that experienced EMI lecturers are able to identify three main dimensions of EMI: academic English proficiency, instructional style, and “culturally shaped norms of teacher-student interactions” (Hu and Li 2017: 200). However, contrasting lecturers’ perceptions with what they actually do in the classroom has proved that the intentions and strategies of lecturers need to be acted upon before substantial improvements in their approach to teaching can be expected. Implications for providing lecturer-support programs are discussed.