English-medium Instruction Contexts Research Articles

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.

University students’ use of language learning strategies in English-medium instruction classes

Abstract The last twenty years have seen dramatic growth in the provision of English-medium instruction (EMI) courses at universities. On such courses, many students learn academic content through a language other than their first language (L1). This often poses significant language-related challenges to students which can impede content learning. To cope with the linguistic challenges, students sometimes employ language learning strategies (LLS). However, despite the rapid growth in the provision of EMI, little research has been conducted into LLS use in an EMI context. This systematized review examines 36 relevant studies. The findings show that over time EMI students modify their strategic behavior as they become more aware of the strategies which meet their learning needs. Furthermore, learners gradually use more content-related strategies as they progress through their EMI courses. Although strategy deployment is generally self-directed, the findings indicate that LLS instruction can benefit learners. Therefore, it is recommended that EMI courses be supported by embedded EAP courses which provide strategy instruction alongside the teaching of discipline-specific vocabulary and discourse practices. The review also raises questions about the role of students’ L1 in EMI. By shedding light on existing studies in the field, the review highlights opportunities for future research.

Comparability of reading tasks in high-stakes English proficiency tests and university courses in Korea

With the increased popularity of English-medium instruction (EMI) in higher education, many East Asian universities are using international English proficiency tests to make admissions and placement decisions. Since these tests were not originally designed for the EMI contexts, validity evidence is needed to support the use of these tests in this new context. To interpret performance on a test as representative of performance in a target language use (TLU) domain, this study investigated (1) the characteristics of English reading tasks in Korean EMI undergraduate and graduate courses, (2) the extent to which they are comparable to the characteristics of reading tasks on TOEFL iBT and IELTS, and (3) the extent to which students perceive EMI reading tasks and the test reading tasks to be comparable. Fifty-four undergraduate and graduate students in EMI content courses at a Korean university completed an online questionnaire. Analyses revealed that EMI reading tasks share several characteristics with USA/UK university reading tasks. Although EMI reading tasks had some key characteristics in common with TOEFL and IELTS reading tasks, the test tasks were much more limited in range. Finally, the extent to which students perceived EMI reading tasks and TOEFL/IELTS reading tasks comparable varied across academic areas.

Academic writing in English: Lessons from an EMI-program in Japan

As international students and English-medium Instruction (EMI) programs increase, Japanese universities need to adapt their programs to fulfill the needs of these students. One often overlooked area is academic writing in English. This paper discusses an action research study examining the challenges of providing formal academic writing support for English-speaking students in an EMI-program at one large private university in Tokyo. The study utilizes a participatory action research approach (Burns, 2009). The study attempted to examine what aspects of academic writing are these students most confident and most insecure about, and what aspects of the writing course did the students feel are most useful for them in preparing them for further academic writing, and how this EMI program can help students overcome these challenges. The data comes from a multiple choice and open answer questionnaire as well as focus group interviews. Suggestions on how to create and implement successful academic writing courses in an EMI context, based on the lessons learned from this course from the administrative point-of-view as well as both from faculty and students’ perspectives will be provided to conclude.

Linguistic and non-linguistic factors impacting EMI academic success: a longitudinal study

AbstractThis study explored changes in English language proficiency and several non-linguistic factors during four years of English medium instruction (EMI) in two academic disciplines in a Turkish university setting. Moreover, it also investigated whether changes (if any) had a predictive impact on the academic success of EMI students. In addition, potential differences between disciplines were also investigated. The participants were 241 EMI students from Business Administration (n = 117) and Mechanical Engineering (n = 124) programmes. Our findings revealed that in addition to the language proficiency scores, various non-linguistic factors, including self-efficacy, ideal L2 self, motivation, self-regulation skills, and anxiety levels, changed throughout EMI education. However, only English proficiency and instrumental motivation emerged as positively significant predictors of EMI success.Our findings also revealed that the increase in participants' intrinsic motivation scores was a significant negative predictor of EMI success. These results are discussed and implications are given regarding the impact of linguistic and non-linguistic factors in EMI contexts.

A multilingualism-as-resource approach in a graduate-level English-medium instruction (EMI) program at a Korean university

ABSTRACT The trend of internationalisation of education has resulted in the wider implementation of English Medium Instruction (EMI) programmes in education, especially at the tertiary level. While some of these programmes adopted strict English-dominant policies, others embraced flexible bilingual or multilingual policies to ensure students’ learning and wellbeing. This study explored international graduate students’ learning and languaging experiences in an EMI graduate classroom with flexible multilingual policies in a Korean university. Data included field notes, students’ work and language samples, and focus group interviews with students. Using thematic analysis of qualitative data, the authors reported that students’ experiences with multilingualism as a resource approach were mostly productive since it created third spaces for the participants to deploy their multilingual resources to construct, promote and demonstrate learning in their class reports. Participants also reported increased compassion for each other through collaborative learning and enhanced understanding of both home and new languages during their studies in the graduate programme that was mediated through multiple languages. This study offered implications for EMI practitioners, higher education institutions, and policymakers regarding language planning, language policy, and language support in EMI contexts.

Exploring the supervisors’ writing experiences and their effects on undergraduate thesis supervisory practices: A comparison of Japanese and Swedish contexts

This study explored the effects of the writing experiences of supervisors on undergraduate English language thesis supervision, specifically focusing on the Japanese and Swedish tertiary contexts where English medium instruction (EMI) is delivered to students whose first language is not English. Employing a Collaborative Autoethnographic (CAE) approach, three teacher-researchers working at universities in Japan and Sweden jointly co-constructed their narratives about their own literacy practices in the historical development of their writing and current thesis supervision. Findings demonstrated limited influences of the teachers’ personal experiences on their practices, with social and educational norms in each country emerging as more significant factors. Particularly, the teacher-centeredness and exam-orientation were observed by the Japan-based supervisors to affect Japanese students, whereas the more horizontal relationship between students and teachers in Swedish education was reported as impacting university students’ autonomy in thesis writing. We concluded that in both tertiary EMI contexts, local embedded educational norms largely influenced teachers' supervisory practices.

Translanguaging in EFL Writing: Examining Student Exam Papers in an EMI Setting

Translanguaging has recently emerged as a topic of interest in English Medium Instruction (EMI) contexts, where students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in English, particularly in academic writing. This paper explores the potential benefits of incorporating translanguaging practices in exam papers to support multilingual students' understanding and performance. Drawing on constructionist grammar as its theoretical framework, this study discusses the complexities of translanguaging in exam papers and provides practical examples of how it can be implemented in English literature classrooms, especially in EMI contexts. Embracing a mixed-methods design to comprehensively understand translanguaging practices in exam papers and their effects on student performances and using a sample of English literature students in Türkiye, the study analyses exam papers to explore translanguaging and its potential impact on students' written work. The findings suggest that translanguaging practices in exam papers facilitate students' comprehension and promote their confidence and engagement in learning. Overall, this study contributes to the growing body of research on translanguaging in education and provides insights into how translanguaging practices can be effectively implemented in English medium instruction.

Teachers’ receptive and productive vocabulary sizes in English-medium instruction

ABSTRACT Despite the growing popularity of English-medium instruction (EMI), the conditions for and consequences of teaching and learning academic content through English are poorly understood. The ability of teachers in the EMI environment (i.e. disciplinary or ‘content’ teachers) to engage students in English is central in this regard since intelligible interaction between the teacher and the students is a precondition for learning when the medium of instruction is English. Across EMI contexts, concerns have been raised about teachers’ level of English proficiency (their ability to speak, write, read and listen in English), but research measuring their English proficiency attainments is lacking. This paper focuses on a key dimension of teachers’ English proficiency: vocabulary knowledge. Teachers (n = 130) took tests of receptive and productive knowledge of general and academic English vocabulary. The testing revealed significant proficiency variation in the cohorts tested, with some teachers exhibiting very low levels (<3000 words) of receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge. Implications for teaching in EMI are discussed.

Chinese Learners’ Use of Translation in Learning Academic Subjects in English-Medium Instruction Context

Abstract Many researchers have identified learning strategies that university students adopt to overcome difficulties in programs taught in English, among which translation is a potentially helpful one. This study explores Chinese undergraduate students’ perceptions of translation as a learning strategy when learning content in the English-medium instruction (EMI) context. Although a number of studies have investigated translation used by learners in second or foreign language acquisition, those studies were rare in the EMI context of tertiary education, particularly in China. By focusing on students’ perspectives, this study provides an insight into how translation is used to assist academic learning in EMI context and highlights its effectiveness. Data consisted of semistructured interviews with 14 volunteer Chinese undergraduates of various majors. It is found that most of the participants resorted to translation to deal with language-related problems, especially in English reading and writing activities. They usually translated utilizing various machine translators, which did not always have a fulfilling effect on students’ learning. Although the majority considered translation helpful for academic learning, it might not be the preferred solution to subject-related confusion for Chinese undergraduate students learning in the EMI context.

A systematic review of research on translanguaging in EMI and CLIL classrooms

ABSTRACT The past decade witnesses a surge of empirical research on translanguaging in educational contexts of English medium instruction (EMI) and content and language integrated learning (CLIL). This systematic review analyses the methodological development, the theoretical underpinning and research themes of translanguaging in EMI and CLIL contexts. A search of five databases identified 103 publications on translanguging in EMI/CLIL contexts, published from April 2015 to May 2022. Among them, 66 were peer-reviewed journal articles, with research conducted in EMI/CLIL classrooms across various subject disciplines. In-depth analysis identifies five major research foci, including translanguaging practices in pedagogy, translanguaging practices and language ideology, translanguaging practices in teacher-student and/or peer interactions, and the effect of translanguaging practices on language and content learning. The review suggests a need of conducting more empirical research on translangugaing-oriented assessment in EMI/CLIL, the lack of which may lead to unsustainability of the discussions on the issues related to equity, repertoire and creativity in translanguaging pedagogy. Furthermore, more research is needed to explore translanguaging practices in EMI/CLIL with the affordance and constraint of digital practices, considering the increasing integration of digital technologies in learning and teaching. The implications of the findings for methodology, research directions, and pedagogy are discussed.

To survive or to thrive? Synthesizing the narrative trajectories of students’ self-regulated listening practice in an EMI transnational higher education context

English-medium instruction (EMI) has burgeoned alongside two decades of L2 self-regulated learning research. In both areas, listening remains under-researched, longitudinal designs are under-employed, and in-depth studies are necessary to unpack learner development. In a context believed to initiate self-regulated learning, the current study employed a longitudinal qualitative design to explore the out-of-class, self-regulated listening practice of 34 Chinese students across their first term transitioning from Chinese-medium high schools to an EMI transnational university in China. Guided by Zimmerman’s social-cognitive model of self-regulated learning, 102 transcripts generated from interviewing students at the beginning, middle, and end of their transition term were analyzed using thematic analysis and narrative analysis. The findings are presented chronologically as a synthesis of the students’ narrative trajectories. They highlight the students’ initial enthusiasm for self-regulated listening practice to ‘survive’ EMI lectures and a watershed moment at the midterm, when many ‘dropouts’ stopped practicing as they perceived their proficiency had reached an abstract threshold. The ‘continuers’ developed sustainable practices informed by the pursuit of long-term, future-oriented goals that outreached the immediate EMI context, guided by metacognitive awareness and emotion regulation strategies. Pedagogical implications to support future cohorts of students to thrive during transition and beyond are provided.

Translanguaging strategies with pre-service EFL teachers in EMI classrooms: An emic perspective

Translanguaging has recently gained widespread acceptance as an effective approach to learning and teaching across various contexts, leading to a surge in research interest. Nevertheless, investigations into translanguaging within English-medium instruction contexts remain relatively scarce. This study aims to delve into the translanguaging strategies of a teacher educator, the evolution of these strategies over time, and the educator's sentiments regarding their use of translanguaging. Through the analysis of audio recordings of classes and reflective notes, the study reveals that translanguaging was strategically employed for primarily three purposes: explanation, individual feedback, and encouragement. These applications facilitated successful conveyance of meaning and the maintenance of a natural conversational flow. Furthermore, the study illustrates that translanguaging was employed to varying degrees in teaching lesson objectives, accompanied by a sense of contentment. The findings underscore the significance of teachers engaging in reflective practice and provide a point of reference to mitigate any potential negative emotions arising from the use of translanguaging.

Epistemic (in)justice in English medium instruction: transnational teachers’ and students’ negotiation of knowledge participation through translanguaging

Informed by a combined framework of ‘translanguaging’ and ‘epistemic injustice’, this paper examines how a group of teachers and students from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds negotiated their knowledge participation through translanguaging in an English medium instruction (EMI) degree program at a Chinese university. Data were collected over a 12-month classroom ethnography, including lesson recordings, stimulated recalls, and reflexive journals. A thematic analysis of the data reveals that transnational teachers and students actively employed translanguaging to challenge the prevailing hegemony of Western thinking and knowing in the EMI environment. We identified three key translanguaging capacities that facilitated transformative knowledge negotiation: (1) counteracting testimonial injustice; (2) providing hermeneutical resources; and (3) enhancing the sensitivity of trans-epistemic practices. Our study attests to the value of translanguaging as a transformative strategy to generate epistemic access for transnational students engaged in EMI learning, informing efforts to foster educational equity in the internationalization of higher education and to empower transnational teachers and students to reclaim their epistemic contribution capacities in the EMI context.

Examining the role of English language proficiency, language learning anxiety, and self-regulation skills in EMI students’ academic success

This study focuses on the predictive power of linguistic (i.e., general English proficiency; identified simply as “proficiency” in this paper) and non-linguistic (i.e., language learning anxiety and self-regulation) factors on the academic success of English medium instruction (EMI) students studying in engineering and social sciences programs in a Turkish university setting. Data were collected from 705 conveniently sampled EMI students of four academic subjects (international relations; N = 158; business administration; N = 184; mechatronics engineering; N = 181; mechanical engineering: N = 182) representing two disciplines (i.e., social sciences and engineering) from a public university. Pearson correlation and SEM analyses were run to determine the relationships among language learning anxiety, self-regulation, proficiency and EMI success. Findings revealed that anxiety and self-regulation skills do affect EMI students’ proficiency irrespective of academic disciplines. Both self-regulation and proficiency impacted EMI students’ academic success in engineering, while only proficiency predicted academic success in the social sciences. These results are discussed and pedagogical implications are given related to the impact of linguistic and non-linguistic factors in EMI contexts.

The impact of EMI on student English writing proficiency in a Spanish undergraduate engineering context

This study analyzes the influence of English medium instruction (EMI) on student English writing development in a Spanish undergraduate context, a language skill that remains underexplored in EMI research at tertiary level. Through a longitudinal pre- and post-test method, it explores the writing progress of EMI engineering students as compared to the achievement of a group of English as a foreign language (EFL) learners, according to different quantitative and qualitative writing measures. Results show a positive impact of EMI on student writing development at the levels of lexical accuracy and vocabulary. However, other writing areas, such as syntax, grammar, organization, or fluency, appeared unaffected. These findings challenge, to some extent, the widespread assumption that EMI contributes to improving student English language proficiency. This study suggests that sole exposure to the language in EMI contexts does not suffice to improve students’ English writing abilities beyond the area of vocabulary. Therefore, it argues for the inclusion of language skill support within EMI programs to provide students with opportunities to achieve a comprehensive development of their English language and writing competence.

‘It becomes increasingly complex to deal with multiple channels’: materialised communicative competence and digital inequality in English-medium higher education in the digital era

ABSTRACT This article explores university students’ communicative competence for English-Medium Instruction (EMI) at a Swedish university in the era of digitalisation and blended learning. Based on a linguistic ethnography, we present an argument for communicative competence as repertoire assemblages orchestrating digital materiality and human language to construct meanings. The study shows how diverse digital multimodalities and AI-language tools are essential features of spatial repertoires for academic communication, and how they cooperate with and mediate students’ personal repertoires to accomplish interactive learning tasks in EMI contexts. The study also highlights how digital diversity in EMI causes a ‘digital divide’, potentially impacting power relations among students. These findings underline the importance of acknowledging the communicative value of digital materiality and negotiating difference and normativity for intercultural academic communication in EMI.

Inquiry-based science teaching in English Medium Instruction science secondary classrooms: Teachers’ understanding and perceptions

This mixed-method study, employing inquiry-based science teaching theory, delves into the interaction of English Medium Instruction (EMI) and scientific inquiry by investigating science teachers’ understanding and perceptions of conducting inquiry-based science activities in EMI classrooms. Drawing on a questionnaire of 166 EMI science teachers and in-depth individual interviews with five of them, the findings suggest that these EMI science teachers encountered similar challenges to other science teachers teaching science in their first languages through an inquiry-based approach. They were found to hold a ­scientific ­method-oriented understanding of inquiry-based science teaching and a conflict between Chinese learning culture and ­inquiry-based science learning culture. Furthermore, the findings indicate that EMI science teachers faced additional challenges in inquiry-based science classrooms in the EMI context, including (a) the tension between passive English learning and the mutual learning of scientific inquiry and English, and (b) the contradictory stance between ­inquiry-based science teaching and EMI policy. This study has implications for policymakers in terms of the teaching and provision of ­inquiry-based science in the EMI classroom.

From notes to writing: three students in focus

Abstract Taking notes while listening not only aids comprehension and concentration in the moment but also creates an external storage repository of information for later use. As the number of students taking content courses in their L2 in English medium instruction contexts grows, L2 notetaking abilities are beginning to receive much-needed pedagogic and research attention. Students use their notes for a variety of post-listening activities, one of which is writing assignments. The present paper examines the relationship between notes taken by three L2 English students while listening to an academic English text, and writing tasks based on the notes taken. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the written tasks are presented and discussed in light of note content, providing insights as to how notes are used to generate post-listening writing tasks. Pedagogic implications related to the note-writing task relationship stemming from the findings are presented.

The emotional landscape of English medium instruction (EMI) in higher education

This editorial piece is the introduction to our special issue on the emotional landscape of English medium instruction (EMI) in higher education. In this piece, we argue for a greater focus on examining the emotional environment of EMI in higher education—the variety of emotions that get entangled in policies, discourses, and practices in local EMI contexts, and the emotional effects of EMI on various stakeholders, such as students, teachers, and administrators. We also center poststructural and critical approaches to examining emotions in EMI, which enable researchers to be responsive to the local contexts, and contribute to developing emotionally supportive and socially just EMI environments. The five empirical studies, two commentaries, and forum piece that constitute this special issue all develop these arguments further.