Abstract
In the current landscape of higher education in the UK, international students play a key role. It is an environment in which they not only cross borders physically but also transition through various identities as they develop their professional and linguistic confidence and skills to fully access and contribute to their programme of study and beyond. The aim of this paper is to outline the results of an empirical investigation into Chinese students’ perceptions of their study experiences in the context of student mobility and English-medium instruction in higher education. It reports on a study of two groups of Chinese students – one group studying in an English-speaking environment, the other in their home country where instruction is delivered through the medium of English. Semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted at each site which focused on the transition of “crossing borders” for educational purposes. The data was analysed using thematic analysis (Clarke & Braun, 2016). The main finding was that both groups experienced remarkably similar learning issues, despite being located in very different learning environments and crossing different types of borders.
Highlights
Crossing borders to access higher education (HE) is increasingly common
Students are metaphorically navigating through borders to experience English as a medium of instruction (EMI) via British tutors from the British HE institution (BI), which includes physically crossing from one province to another for HE
· Why have you chosen to study at the Joint School/ Yorkshire University? · How do you perceive yourself at university? · What are your perceptions of studying in English in your home country/
Summary
With processes of globalization and internationalization, HE is witnessing an ever-expanding number of students travelling outside their home country to access education – be it at undergraduate or postgraduate level. Chinese students are accessing English for academic purposes (EAP) and English as a medium of instruction (EMI) courses abroad, and increasingly in their home country. As this demographic is expanding rapidly, it seems pertinent to explore their experiences in the respective environments and consider what possible challenges and benefits each respectively poses for students. It is hoped that this study will provide valuable insights for researchers and practitioners of EMI and EAP in developing a deeper understanding of Chinese students, their needs, and their perceptions of their learning experiences in these two types of settings
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