English-medium Research Articles

Development of The Vistori Book on Basic Concepts of Division for Grade II Elementary School Students

The use of textual learning media in elementary school that can help to improve literacy and students' ability to understand stories is still limited, especially when it is integrated with mathematics. The goal of this study is to produce a vistori book on the topic of the basic concept of division for second grade elementary school that is assessed for validity. The ADDIE model, which consists of five phases such as analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation, was used in this study. In this research, data collection involved the utilization of interviews, questionnare, and documentation. The score obtained from expert validation and student responses were calculated using a quantitative descriptive methodology. The findings showed that vistori books get excellent qualifications for both validity and attractiveness. Based on analysis, vistori book media on the basic concept of division for second grade elementary school is qualified for use in learning.

Exploring Identity Perception and Bilingual Education Dynamics in Taiwanese University Settings

In an increasingly interconnected world, proficiency in English is becoming indispensable, prompting Taiwanese universities to implement English language requirements ranging from one to four years. This initiative aligns with a national bilingual education program aimed at bolstering the English proficiency of college students to enhance their international competitiveness. Consequently, English-medium instruction has become prevalent in various university courses, facilitated by the Freshman English course serving as a transition to English-mediated teaching. While linguistic development is emphasized, the dynamics of identity perception among students cannot be overlooked, as language identity profoundly impacts their learning experiences and growth. This study delves into the identity perception of college freshmen in Taiwan, where bilingual education is heavily emphasized by the government. The purpose of the study is to investigate how Taiwanese college freshmen perceive their identity as they participate in English language learning. In addition, this study aims to examine the influence of gender and college major on the individual differences in identity perception among college freshmen engaged in English language learning. Employing Gao et al.’s (2005) Likert-scale questionnaire on self-identity change, the research surveyed 360 freshmen from a university in northern Taiwan. Data analysis performed with SPSS includes two stages. At the first stage, descriptive statistics revealed that participants exhibited agreement on self-identity changes in four categories: self-confidence, zero, productive and additive. At the second stage, a multivariate analysis of variance demonstrated significant main effects of gender and major on identity changes. Female students exhibited higher self-confidence, additive and productive changes compared to male students. Furthermore, liberal arts majors experienced more pronounced self-confidence, additive and productive changes than their counterparts in business, science, and engineering majors. A Post Hoc test unveiled significant differences, with business majors scoring higher than science majors in subtractive and split changes, while science majors differed significantly from liberal arts majors in zero change. The study’s implications extend beyond theoretical understanding, informing pedagogical practices to enhance language learning experiences.

Beyond Asset-Based Frameworks: Middle School Teachers Perpetuating Raciolinguistic Paradigms

This phenomenological study explored how middle school teachers experience teaching racially/ethnically minoritized newcomer adolescent students in Arizona. Through a Critical Race Theory framework, this qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to illustrate how even the best intentions and asset-based approaches of six white middle school teachers may still perpetuate existing systems of oppression. Though most teachers emphasized student strengths, they also unintentionally promoted harmful ideology and reported feeling limited in how they could support students given federal, state, and local policies that segregate students through identification, placement, and accountability policies. Arizona, as the only state with restrictive language policies requiring English-only instruction, presented a unique context in how racially/ethnically minoritized newcomer immigrant students were educated and ultimately (mis)treated. Implications and recommendations for school psychologists to combat systemic inequities and further support teachers will be discussed. Impact Statement This qualitative study used a Critical Race Theory framework to examine how middle school teachers can inadvertently disserve racially/ethnically minoritized newcomer immigrant adolescents in Arizona. Despite asset-based perspectives, teachers may perpetuate raciolinguistic injustices as a result of hegemonic policy positioning English and whiteness as norms.

Nggusu Waru-based Social Studies Electronic Book Model as the Innovation to Support Students’ Character Building

Advances in technology and information in the digital era, have an important role in the world of education. Including the use of media can support social studies learning in schools. Utilizing computers, laptops, gadgets, and the like as student learning media. Learning by utilizing technological media is needed in the era of the 21st century. On the contrary, technological sophistication negatively affects the character and morality of students. This study aims to design a social studies electronic book model based on local wisdom Nggusu Waru as student character building. The research design in this article uses Research and Development design at the development stage with a model developed by Borg & Gall. With several stages, namely research and information collection, this stage includes literature study activities, field observations, and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) to develop social science electronic book products, this research develops a social studies book based on local wisdom Nggusu Waru for student character building through Research and Development design. The results of the analysis in the discussion of the development of social studies e-books were declared suitable for use as learning media in schools based on the results of Focus Group Discussions with experts. Student responses also show a positive response to the existence of a social science e-book model based on local wisdom that can be useful in building student character.

TEFL Students' Perceptions of Native and Non-Native EFL School Teachers and University Lecturers: A Case Study

The idea that non-native English-speaking educators are less competent than their native English-speaking counterparts when teaching language is propagated by the language ideology known as native-speakerism. The dichotomy between these two teacher groups has been addressed in various parts of the world but not in the Armenian context. This study investigates graduate students' perceptions of native/non-native EFL school teachers and faculty at an English medium university in Armenia. Collected Data shows that native and non-native educators were both viewed as meeting students' needs and providing helpful instruction. While preferences for natives were mainly in pronunciation and vocabulary, non-native lecturers, specifically local Armenians, were favored in affective areas. However, a novel finding in this investigation was the confusion over the native speaker term. The study concludes by recommending some academic implementations to offer these in- and pre-service teachers a more nuanced knowledge of the constructs involved.

Our gateway is your gatekeeper: benefits and constraints of EMI for different participants in Japanese ELF contexts

Abstract This paper explores the interconnectedness of gatekeeper and gateway roles the same English-medium instruction (EMI) policy plays for different student populations at different times. The research site is located in an EMI programme at a Japanese university, where, for international students, EMI opens a gateway to the university, Japanese ability not being required at the entry point, whereas the same policy plays a gatekeeping role for Japanese students, a high English proficiency level based on native English speaker (NES) norms being required. However, for international students with plans to work for Japanese companies after graduation, their low Japanese ability starts playing a gatekeeping role for their future career, contrary to the situation at the outset. In contrast, Japanese students, who initially struggle to get used to EMI, after a few years, become empowered by their ability to use English as a lingua franca (ELF), which becomes a gateway to new career opportunities. Thus, the same EMI policy could play opposing roles for different student populations at different times, a gateway turning gatekeeper for one group, while for another, the initial gatekeeper turning gateway after some time. The exploration is mostly based on our interview data with EMI graduates at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Implications for language policy will also be discussed.

“English is the natural language of science”: discourses and ideologies concerning EMI in two Brazilian universities

Abstract With the introduction of English medium instruction (EMI) as one strategy for the internationalization of universities, more and more lecturers in Brazil choose the option of running their courses in EMI, while higher education courses are normally taught in Portuguese, the official language. In this study, we aim to explore the discourses and ideologies underlying the introduction and choice of EMI in two Brazilian higher education institutions. We conducted interviews with lecturers and focus group discussions with lecturers and students at two state universities in Paraná, Brazil. The results show a tendency to see English as “the natural language of science” which is underpinned by various ideological positions in relation to the role of English in academia, such as monolingual, correctness and native speakerism ideologies. At the same time, the data shows resistance to English from a linguistic justice perspective, and portrays university lecturers as engaging in a balancing act to facilitate inclusion and still offer international opportunities to students in Brazil.

Impact of English proficiency and self-efficacy on EMI content learning: a longitudinal study in Taiwan

Abstract In many countries, English-medium instruction (EMI) courses have become a requirement for universities to maintain their competitive global rankings. This study reports on a three-year EMI program in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at a national university in Taiwan. A total of 63 students participated in the study. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected, including measures targeting students’ English proficiency, language learning beliefs, classroom anxiety, self-efficacy, content course grades, and interview data from four faculty members. The t-tests indicate that students’ English proficiency significantly improved from their freshman year to their sophomore year but then tapered off in their junior year. Multiple regression analyses show that students’ self-efficacy remained the strongest predictor of the content learning outcomes, overriding the English proficiency. Interview data show that, after navigating the initial language impact and adapting to the EMI environment, students were better able to focus on the content learning due to enhanced self-efficacy. The qualitative data provide enriched contexts to support the statistical findings, against the backdrop of the 2030 Bilingual Policy, initiated in 2018 by Taiwan’s National Development Council to build a bilingual society by 2030. Finally, pedagogical implications and future research endeavors are also discussed.

Linguistic justice in English-medium instruction contexts: a theoretical argument

Abstract This article looks at English-medium instruction (EMI) contexts in higher education from a linguistic justice perspective and offers a theoretical argument to discuss the potential for EMI to be defended as a positive and valuable phenomenon, beyond economic and competitive arguments. In the final keynote panel at the 2022 ICLHE conference, Philippe Van Parijs pondered how EMI teachers might be seen: either as killers, traitors, sellers, saviours, upgraders, or liberators. After providing characterisations for each of these labels, Van Parijs suggested that EMI teachers should be better conceived of as civilisers, not in a missionary sense of civilising the barbarian, but in the Aristotelian meaning of civic virtue, of citizens being part of public life, actively involved in discussion of public affairs. This seems to imply a specific view of English, one that almost naturally equates the language to democratic progress and consensus. In the article, I challenge this assumption and suggest that for English to be a democratising agent and EMI truly a gate-opener to higher education, emphasis needs to be placed on listening subject positions and regimes of uptake as key aspects of democratic deliberation and key elements to overcome prejudiced views of accents and voices.

EMI programmes in Vietnamese higher education: a case study of translanguaging practices for inclusive education

Abstract Previous studies have discussed stakeholders’ perceptions of using first language in English-medium instruction (EMI), but only a few have examined classroom practices in Vietnam. Against this backdrop, this article focuses on lecturers’ translanguaging practices in an EMI programme where all the lecturers and students were Vietnamese. More specifically, it employs the conceptual framework of ROAD-MAPPING, proposed by Dafouz and Smit (“The ROAD-MAPPING framework: Taking stock and paving future directions for English-medium research”, in Emma Dafouz and Ute Smit (eds.), Researching English-medium higher education: Diverse applications and critical evaluations of the ROAD-MAPPING framework, 1–19. London: Routledge, 2016), to see if there was substantial evidence of a constructive co-existence between English and Vietnamese – the first language – in this EMI programme. The findings suggest that under the lecturers’ and students’ agency, the two languages were distributed across various domains of classroom practices to benefit students’ learning of content knowledge. In teacher talk, English and Vietnamese have different functions to support the process of knowledge co-construction. The study implies that the current monolingual orientation promoted in many top-down EMI policies should be reconsidered, given the linguistic diversity of higher education settings. In other words, EMI should be promoted as an educational environment where students can access their linguistic repertoires and develop their academic knowledge bi/multilingually. Translanguaging, therefore, should be acknowledged as an inclusive pedagogical practice.

English Medium Instruction or Exploitative Models of Income? International students’ experiences of EMI by default at an Australian university

Abstract International education is Australia’s largest services export, and third largest export altogether, generating between $22 billion and $40 billion per year over the last few years. Higher education represents half of this ‘market’ with over 25 % of students being from overseas. Despite the important role that international students play in the fabric of Australian society and specifically in higher education, the findings from our linguistic ethnographic study of international students at an Australian university showed that the English language learning needs of these students were frequently unmet. Using James Scott’s theory of official and hidden transcripts, we reveal that students reported feeling that their “English is not good enough” and assumed personal ‘(ir)responsibility’ for this outcome. In this broad English Medium Instruction (EMI) context, where English is not the first language, but it is used as the language of instruction and as the lingua franca amongst international students, English-dominant perspectives acted to marginalise international students, impacting their academic performance and confidence for social networking. In this paper, we describe the shifts in higher educational policy in Australia over the last few decades to provide context to the current neoliberal educational climate for international students. We draw on principles of social justice to examine the present-day system and argue that Australian universities need to shift from an EMI by default model to a genuine EMI offering.

The (in)justice of EMI: a critical discourse analysis of two key stakeholders’ views on the Polytechnic University of Milan court case

Abstract While English-medium Instruction (EMI) continues to be appealing for various stakeholders, it also raises some epistemological and ethical concerns, which have in the past found expression in polarized debates. A well-known example is the 2012 Milan court case, in which the academic staff sued the Polytechnic University of Milan over its attempt to promote an EMI-only policy. Now almost ten years after the case, the motivations of the key proponents and opponents of the policy are yet to be explored in depth. In order to explain how different interpretations of EMI could result in such unreconcilable positions, in this paper we adopt a new analytical angle, focusing on two elite participants: the rector who promoted the policy and the lawyer (also a faculty member) who represented the lecturers in court. Via a critical discourse analysis of interviews to these participants, we aim to unveil how different stakeholders from the same context frame EMI in relation to ideas of justice/injustice. Results indicate that, despite comparable personal commitment to education and similar understandings of language/power interactions, the participants evaluate English against different frames of reference (i.e. a horizon of globalized education, versus the traditional national understanding of the goals of education). This leads to diametrically opposite evaluations of the growing presence of English in higher education.

Enhancing equity in South Korean EMI higher education through translanguaging

Abstract This paper argues that to foster more equity in a South Korean Higher Education English Medium Instruction (EMI) learning environment, future policies should embrace a translanguaging medium of instruction. First, the paper provides an overview of current South Korean EMI challenges and then by drawing on data of a larger study presents examples of translanguaging practices used to offset these challenges. The study explored ten South Korean University students’ perceptions of how translanguaging affects access to subject content in their EMI experiences. The findings point to the presence of affordances in the L1 or L2 system in certain EMI situations, which may constrain students’ learning. This is because a translanguaging competence is not an overt part of current EMI policy which may prevent students from capitalising on opportunities. This paper further argues that translanguaging should be viewed as a viable, equitable, socially just medium of instruction to overcome these constraints. Recommendations are made for how students can be given the opportunity to be involved in critiquing and changing the social structures in which they learn, to co-imagine a socially just translanguaging future. The paper concludes by further arguing that the native speaker monolingual ideology needs to be challenged in EMI policy.

A Study of Influence of Yoga on the Mental Health of Adolescents

Mental health refers to an individual’s overlall adjustment in behaviour which is socially desirable to achieve a maximum of satisfaction and happiness, enabling ability to face and deal with the daily life situations effectively. The present research paper explored to comparative study the level of mental health among adolescents who are routinely performing Yoga. The present study consisted sample of 120 subjects divided in two groups (Boys and Girls), each group has 60 subjects, considered for six different parameters. These all subjects came from class IX from four local english medium schools. No group was further subdivided. Mental Health Battery (ISBN 93-87452-59-X) authered by Dr. Arun Kumar Singh & Dr Alpana Sen Gupta of National Psychological Corporation, Agra, was used as tool for the assessment of mental health. For statistical analysis and hypothesis testing, mean score and t-test were applied. The findings show that there was no significant difference in the influence on the mental health of adolescent of both sexes. On the basis of the findings in the presented study, it may be concluded that in adolescents who were performing Yoga routinely, gender has no influential factor in mental health.

Android Needs Analysis as A Mobile Learning Media in Special School

The study aims to collect data to measure the benefits and constraints of using Android smartphones as mobile learning in special education institutions and why they are needed. This study uses a descriptive quantitative method using a questionnaire distributed through google forms filled out by 62 teachers of special or inclusive schools in Indonesia. The data analysis method was carried out using SPSS 25 with the following instrument scale and category by Azwar (2014). The results of this study are that teachers experience high benefits of 62.9%, experience several obstacles, and show the highest score at moderate with 82.3% percent. The teacher also feels that using Android as a learning media is easy because various platforms are provided. However, apart from the benefits, teachers also experience several obstacles in their use, such as the lack of socialization or training, and concern about the negative impact on students with special needs.

The politics of distraction in planning English-medium education policy in schools

ABSTRACT This article presents the findings of a critical ethnography focused on the English-medium instruction (EMI) policy in Nepal’s public schools. Through the analysis of policy documents and interviews with policymakers, the study reveals that policymakers view the EMI policy as a solution to the crisis in public schools by enhancing their competitiveness with private English-medium schools. However, this approach is identified as a ‘politics of distraction’, as it diverts attention from broader issues such as implicit privatization, funding cuts, and accountability deficits for implementing multilingual education policy. By framing EMI as a public policy doctrine using discursive strategies (e.g. neoliberal rationalization and justification) and suggesting that the crisis can be resolved through school privatization, which in turn promotes commodified languages like English and the national dominant language, Nepali, over local/Indigenous languages, policymakers largely disregard inequalities, structural conditions, and reinforce the existing unequal power relations. By diverting attention from critical issues, policymakers perpetuate historical marginalization, colonial agendas and ideologies, and unequal power asymmetries, failing to address systemic challenges. The research underscores the necessity of scrutinizing the motivations and agendas underlying the promotion of EMI in mainstream schools in multilingual contexts.

English Language Education as a Social Divider: A Case Study

This study explores how English language teachers and their students in Nepal have experienced about using English as a medium of instruction in their classroom. A case study was conducted at a public school in Sunsari district in Nepal where English language has been taught to the students in English medium classes and Nepali medium classes separately for some years. Class observation and in-depth interviews with the participants were devised as tools for collecting the data. Interpretive phenomenological approach helped the researcher to conclude that EMI has created a social division between the English language teachers and their students who use it and who do not in their classroom.

Exploring the Teaching of Reading for Comprehension in IsiZulu Home Language: A Bibliometric Review

Reading literacy has attracted the attention of a growing number of researchers in recent times. Though it is seen as an essential competency, thorough bibliometric analyses on the subject are lacking within a few African contexts, one of which is reading for comprehension in the isiZulu home language. This study attempted to fill this gap, by selecting 95 articles through the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol (PRISMA-P) method and leveraging tools such as VOSviewer, CitNetExplorer’s visualization citation network, and counting techniques. The results indicated that South Africa is a central player, experiencing a notable increase in publications over the past decade. Authors such as Probert, Paulsrud B., Tian Z., Toth J., Port R.F., McKinney C., Tyler R. Moodley V., and Wildsmith-Cromarty R. stand out, alongside prolific journals like English-Medium Instruction and Translanguaging, Language Learning, and Language Teaching. Crucial topics identified include Cultural Context, Language Proficiency, Interactive Read-Alouds, and Differentiated Instruction. The results emphasized the pivotal role of reading motivation in formal education, highlighting the complex nature of online activities. The study concluded that the field of research on teaching reading for comprehension in isiZulu has evolved into a well-established and cross-disciplinary field, with South Africa leading in contributions and collaborations, and anticipates continued growth which will solidify isiZulu reading instruction as a promising and enduring subject of study. Keywords: isiZulu, Home Language, Reading Comprehension, CitNetExplorer, PRISMA-P, Bibliometric Review, Community Involvement

The Construction of Harbin’s Image in Chinese and Western Media: A Corpus-Based Critical Discourse Analysis

With the development of the ice and snow economy, Harbin has received great attention in domestic and international economic cooperation and cultural exchange. This paper conducts a corpus-based critical discourse analysis over the characteristics of Chinese and Western English media reports on Harbin, aiming to quantitatively and qualitatively study the discourse construction of Harbin’s city image. The results show that firstly, Harbin is mainly presented as “the city of ice and snow” in both media. Secondly, while domestic media focus more on shaping Harbin’s city image around tourism with the purpose of driving economic development, the focus of foreign media is more diverse and comprehensive. Thirdly, limitations exist in both media and need to be reduced.

English for specific purposes in surging English-medium instruction contexts

Abstract English-medium instruction (EMI) research increasingly reports on students’ language-related challenges and a lack of academic and language support classes, collaboration between content and language teachers and overall teacher training. Our study explores EMI in Japan and China, two contexts where EMI has been referred to as emerging but is now “surging.” In these contexts, EMI is closely linked to English language proficiency goals, yet research on supporting students remains scarce. Data were collected via interviews and focus groups with students, English teachers and content teachers, who provided insights into approaches to EMI policy implementation, stakeholders’ attitudes, and the need for English for specific purposes (ESP) and English for specific academic purposes (ESAP). The results provide much needed insights for evidence-informed EMI policy implementation, curriculum development and teacher training. The study also provides insights into institutional infrastructure conducive to EMI policy, with findings revealing ESP needs of EMI students and the training needs of teaching staff. The study presented in this paper furthers the work that has been conducted in Anglophone settings on the complexity of ELT practitioner roles. The results also provide directions for future research.