English- vs. Chinese-Medium Instruction in Chinese Higher Education: A Quasi-Experimental Comparison

Haitao Guo,Zhuoying Wang,Fuhui Tong,Yue Min,Shifang Tang

doi:10.3390/su10114230

Haitao Guo, Zhuoying Wang + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su10114230

Copy DOI

Journal: Sustainability	Publication Date: Nov 16, 2018
Citations: 26	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Shenzhen University, Texas A&M University

Abstract

Through a quasi-experimental approach, we compared Chinese college students’ learning motivation, content knowledge, English language proficiency, and instructor’s pedagogical practices between an English-medium instruction (EMI) and the parallel Chinese-medium instruction (CMI) course in a non-traditional discipline. Results indicated that EMI was more effective, as compared to CMI, in motivating students’ learning of the focal subject. More specifically, EMI students held a stronger external goal orientation than did their CMI peers. Further, EMI and CMI students performed on par in their final exam in the subject and English after one semester of participation, controlling for their prior performance. The finding suggested that EMI did not carry a detrimental effect on Chinese college students’ content area learning. Finally, observation revealed a significantly higher percentage of English language instruction focused on higher-order dense cognitive area in the EMI classroom where students were more engaged in their learning. Implications for policy and research were discussed regarding this educational approach for sustained and optimized student learning.

Highlights

At the turn of the century, China became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), a milestone of China’s participation in the global economy
Our main objective is to examine differences between an English-medium instruction (EMI) and its parallel Chinese-medium instruction (CMI) classrooms relating to these outcomes so as to determine the benefit of EMI and whether the quality of higher education can be enhanced through the educational and linguistic provision for sustained and optimized student learning
Before addressing research questions 1–3, we examined baseline equivalence of students’ academic achievement, English language proficiency, and learning motivation prior to their participation in either EMI or CMI

Summary

Introduction

At the turn of the century, China became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), a milestone of China’s participation in the global economy This has led to subsequent educational reform of internationalization in higher education as reflected in foreign language teaching and integrating English into content area instruction [1]. Evidence of the advantage of EMI from a worldwide perspetive is still inconclusive after over a decade of research, mainly due to the lack of solid research methodology [9,17] In response to this call, the present quasi-experimental study (see explanation in Section 3.1) joins the discussion through multiple lenses of observed instructor’s practices, as well as college students’ English language, academic, and affective outcomes. Our main objective is to examine differences between an EMI and its parallel Chinese-medium instruction (CMI) classrooms relating to these outcomes so as to determine the benefit of EMI and whether the quality of higher education can be enhanced through the educational and linguistic provision for sustained and optimized student learning

Methods

Results

Conclusion