English-medium Instruction Lecturers Research Articles

Discourse Structuring Metadiscourse in EMI Lecturer Microteaching Test Performance

Microteaching is frequently used in English-medium instruction (EMI) teacher education to provide a controlled environment for skill refinement and feedback (Deroey, 2023; Morell, 2020), but less frequently in EMI language testing (Dimova, 2017) due to concerns about its suitability. While some argue for its potential to standardize language assessment procedures, others question its ability to reflect classroom discourse (Molino et al., 2022). To address this issue, empirical evidence of the language features of microteaching is needed. So far, however, very limited language-focused research has been conducted. This paper takes a step in this direction by analyzing EMI lecturers’ test performance in terms of discourse structuring metadiscourse, a key language function for enhancing clarity and coherence. The performances of 15 EMI lecturers on the Test of Oral English Proficiency for Academic Staff (TOEPAS) are examined to identify the most commonly used personal and impersonal metadiscourse markers, as well as differences in lecturers’ use of these markers across proficiency levels. Following Ädel’s (2010) reflexive model, quantitative and qualitative insights into metadiscourse are provided. Results suggest that simulated lectures elicit a range of forms and functions of metadiscourse that have been documented in the literature on classroom discourse in English-dominant and non-English-dominant settings. While more research is needed to elucidate the frequency distributions of these forms and how they reflect actual classroom practices, the qualitative analysis across proficiency levels provides insights into the degree of lexico-grammatical variation in the articulation of metadiscourse, which has implications for the widespread use of microteaching in testing and training.

Exploring Chinese EMI lecturers’ pedagogical engagement through the lens of culturally informed positive psychology: An intervention study

This research is situated in the context of English Medium Instruction (EMI) teaching in higher education. The importance of lecturers' skilled implementation of engagement strategies to enhance students' learning is acknowledged. However, literature identifies a need for theoretically informed professional development (PD) programs to improve EMI lecturers' pedagogical engagement. In light of the identified concerns and issues, an intervention, drawing on a pedagogical engagement framework informed by positive psychology, was implemented and reported in this paper. The intention of the study was to contribute to the development of Chinese EMI lecturers' engagement portfolios. A group of twenty-five EMI lecturers in a South China university participated in the study. Through analysing their pre- and post-intervention teaching data and a focus group discussion, it was found that the quality of their cognitive engagement, and the quality of their emotional and behavioral engagement episodes in practice were noticeably improved. It can be concluded that an intensive intervention through a theoretically informed engagement framework contributes to EMI lecturers' pedagogical commitment to students' cognitive learning, and psychological investment in learners’ well-being. However, cultural and institutional factors somewhat constrained the participants from fully embracing the workshops, impacting their perception and post-intervention practice.

EMI Teachers' Attitudes and Approaches towards Grammar Error and Professional Development Perspectives in Chinese Higher Education

In the context of Chinese higher education, there is still blank in the English Medium Instruction (EMI) system, particularly in terms of subject teachers' attitudes and behaviors toward teaching grammar in professional courses and their perspectives on the professional advancement of this competency. Based on the existing research, the current study mainly examined how subject teachers perceived their roles and responsibilities in language teaching especially grammar, what strategies they will take to solve students’ grammatical problems, and their feelings and preferences with teacher professional development related to this aspect. Data were obtained from three semi-structured online interviews with three teachers from Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College. The findings indicates that EMI lecturers declined to take on the role of language instructors. However, in pursuit of enhancing students' overall understanding of the subject, they did incorporate certain grammar adjustment techniques in their classes and while reviewing students' written work, which is the initial evidence of manifestation of the grammatical Language Related Episodes (LREs). Additionally, the participants recognized the utilization of AI tools to assist students in improving their grammar skills. Furthermore, regarding the professional growth of EMI teachers, they emphasized the importance for tertiary education to stay abreast with current trends that training programs should assist EMI teachers with AI usage for grammar correction, as well as guiding students on the appropriate application of AI in their language learning process.

Personal narratives of three EMI teachers: construction of their identities based on their experiential development

ABSTRACT This study focuses on English-medium instruction (EMI) teacher development in the specific context of a technical university in Spain, where English-medium instruction has been adopted swiftly but irregularly over the past decade. In contexts where EMI implementation relies mainly on bottom-up initiatives, its success largely depends on the preparedness of content lecturers, which is why attention must be paid to lecturers’ experiential development. In order to understand how EMI lecturers view themselves, their teaching practices and their impact, we analyse the personal narratives of three effective EMI lecturers as they reflect on their lived experiences. The approach taken in this study is that of narrative inquiry, with the purpose of understanding the extent to which teachers’ experience and perceived identity relate to their teaching behaviour. Findings shed light on different experiential journeys and EMI lecturer profiles. These narratives help us gain insight that can inform EMI teacher trainers and institutions on how to bridge the gap between individual, volunteering approaches to EMI and scalable actions for institutionally implemented and quality EMI.

An Examination of the Degree of Complexity of Teacher Questions in English-Medium University Courses

Research has demonstrated that questions are essential when teachers endeavor to foster students’ comprehension and learning of the subject taught. However, there is a scarcity of studies on questioning practices in English-medium instruction (EMI) settings. In this study, we aim to fill this gap by focusing on the linguistic complexity of the questions put forward by EMI lecturers by paying particular heed to whether the disciplinary culture exerts any influence on the complexity of lecturers’ questioning practices. The study was conducted at four public Spanish universities in which the classes delivered by nine EMI lecturers from three different disciplines (history, economics, and engineering) were recorded and analyzed. The statistical analyses performed found no significant differences in the lexical and syntactic complexity of the questions posed in the three disciplines, while language at the C level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) was conspicuous by its absence. These results lead us to conclude that if students are not widely exposed to language at the C level of the CEFR, oral language development and improvement may not be promoted in EMI courses. Therefore, EMI teacher training should be given more attention.

Teacher professional identities and their impacts on translanguaging pedagogies in a STEM EMI classroom context in China: a nexus analysis

While translanguaging has gained increasing recognition as a multiliteracy pedagogy in English-medium instruction (EMI) education, research exploring its implementation in STEM classroom contexts remains limited. Furthermore, the interplay of EMI teachers’ professional identities and their instructional strategies has received little attention. This qualitative study explores how STEM academics in an EMI programme in China implemented translanguaging pedagogy, developed their professional identities, and examined the impact of identity on their classroom instructional language use. Drawing upon nexus analysis, the study maps the intersecting discourses influencing two EMI lecturers’ divergent language ideologies and translanguaging strategies. The findings highlight the role of teacher identity and agency in navigating institutional and classroom discourses, facilitating planned and effective translanguaging pedagogy. The study reveals identity struggles within the examined institution, where academic staff faced a challenge in balancing their roles as effective EMI teachers and successful researchers due to a discourse of research meritocracy and were constrained in exploring translanguaging pedagogy due to a discourse of internationalism. These challenges undermined their motivation to invest in teaching identity and pedagogical skills. This study underscores the need for a balanced view of research and teaching, more robust teacher evaluation systems, and institutional support to foster effective translanguaging pedagogy in EMI by incorporating teacher identity construction into EMI teacher preparedness.

Lecturers’ Perspectives on English Medium Instruction (EMI): Implications for Professional Development

Purpose: Turkish universities have increasingly embraced English Medium Instruction (EMI) as a teaching approach, which is a part of a global push to internationalize higher education. This present study examines the perspectives of 30 EMI lecturers working at universities in Turkey, emphasizing the role of EMI in the internationalization of higher education. The study aims to explore how these lecturers perceive EMI and how they engage with it, identifying both commonalities in their perspectives and the challenges they encounter. Methodology: In this qualitative case study, purposive sampling was used to select the EMI lecturers from universities in Turkey. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews, allowing for in-depth exploration of lecturers' perspectives and their insights. Content analysis, focusing on the complexities and nuances of EMI implementation, was used to systematically examine and interpret the themes emerging from the interviews. Findings: The study identifies the key benefits of EMI as the increasing access to scientific knowledge, improved career prospects, and enhanced English proficiency. However, EMI also brings significant challenges, such as the difficulty of instruction in a foreign language, additional time requirements compared to Turkish Medium instruction (TMI), and issues related to terminology and cultural integration. These challenges underscore the need for targeted professional development to fully incorporate EMI's potential in improving higher education. Highlights: EMI increases access to global scholarly resources and encourages the development of English proficiency in accordance with international academic standards. It promotes global competitiveness among graduates, providing significant career and academic opportunities. Challenges include linguistic barriers in teaching and learning and intensive preparation time. The study advocates for specific professional development programs to effectively address the pedagogical and linguistic challenges of EMI. Future implications are discussed, and suggestions are offered to help with implementation.

Pedagogy in Teaching through English Medium Instruction—Academics’ Cases in a Chinese University

As a result of two decades of development, the trajectory of English medium instruction (EMI) research has moved from the identification of problems towards a focus on pedagogy. In response to studies in the literature claiming that the dominant approach in EMI pedagogy is the direct transmission of knowledge, and calls for research investigating classroom discourse in EMI teaching, this study explores the pedagogical features enacted by bilingual EMI academics in a Chinese university’s EMI program. The participants were four academics who were teaching a subject in parallel across both EMI and CMI student cohorts. The research employs Paulo Freire’s framework of dialogic teaching as the theoretical lens and focused on investigating moments in which the EMI lecturers ‘dialogued’, engaged, and/or interacted with students in their EMI classes. This research found that, in spite of their varied disciplines, the lecturers mostly implemented expository teaching in their EMI and CMI classes in general. The efforts of individual academics in relation to intellectual equality, the wellbeing of students, and the encouragement of critical thinking through dialogue and interaction were identified. However, due to the academics positioning themselves as experts in subject knowledge, the tendency in their teaching was characterized as monologic rather than dialogic. This research contests a major theme in the literature, which is that the academics’ English (EMI teaching), in reference to their first language (L1), is not the major contributor to their pedagogical approach.

An ELF-Oriented Corpus-Based Analysis into the EMI Lecturers’ Use of Spatial Deixis across Two Different Teaching Media

In the last two decades, English-Medium Instruction (EMI) has fast increased in non-Anglophone universities, with the result that non-native English speaker (NNES) lecturers are increasingly using English as a lingua franca (ELF) to interact with their NNES students in the classroom. As such, EMI represents “a prototypical ELF scenario” (Smit 2017, 387). This paper identifies and describes language variations that occurred in EMI lecturers’ talk in a comparable corpus of six EMI engineering lectures taught in two different teaching modalities: in-person and virtual synchronous classrooms. By means of a corpus-based methodology, this study particularly focuses on lexical spatial deixis as it allows the lecturer to direct students’ attention towards a common referent so as to ensure students’ comprehension and participation (Hyland 2005). The findings indicate that the use of proximal deictics differs according to the context, with interactional and pedagogical implications beyond EMI.

Content teachers’ and lecturers’ corrective feedback in EMI classes in high school and university settings

To date, very limited research interest has been given to the strategies English-medium instruction (EMI) teachers or lecturers deploy to provide corrective feedback (CF) on the language use to their students during class interaction. In other words, when EMI teachers incidentally focus on students’ problematic language use, how do they correct it – providing explicit correction or using recast or elicitation? This article reports on a study that examined CF types EMI teachers and lecturers used during classroom discourse, drawing on data collected from classroom observations and recordings of six different EMI classes in high school and university settings in Korea. The frequency and types of CF used in reactive language-related episodes (LREs) were identified in the EMI classes and compared between the two settings and across disciplines (social science, mathematics, and computer science). Findings showed that all the EMI teachers and lecturers offered CF to their students but with different frequency; the schoolteachers offered CF more frequently than the university lecturers. Also, the schoolteachers used more various types of CF than the lecturers. In both settings, CF occurred most frequently in mathematics compared to the other two disciplines. This article ends with suggestions for ways the findings of this study can be used to raise EMI teachers’ awareness of various options for providing CF on students’ linguistic errors during their incidental teaching practices.

How Do EMI Lecturers’ Translanguaging Perceptions Translate into Their Practice? A Multi-Case Study of Three Chinese Tertiary EMI Classes

Translanguaging is discussed widely in the literature as a new pedagogical tool for English-medium instruction (EMI) that can challenge monolingual assumptions, mitigate English language barriers, and advocate for the full use of linguistic resources in meaning making. Different EMI lecturers have been found to hold diverse translanguaging perceptions and have adopted a variety of its functions. However, more needs to be known to close the knowledge gap between how each lecturer envisions and practices their translanguaging pedagogies, if any. Employing a qualitative method using data from semi-structured interviews and classroom observation, this study investigated three Chinese tertiary EMI engineering lecturers’ translanguaging perceptions and practices. Taken together, these three cases illustrate the complex relationship between translanguaging perceptions and practices according to their interactional (e.g., students’ difficulties in understanding full EMI), socio-cultural (e.g., the socially constructed value of full EMI), and personal factors (e.g., EMI teaching experiences). We propose that the negotiation among these three domains can promote or withhold the transfer of translanguaging perceptions into practice. We use our findings to call for EMI training programs to encourage lecturers’ reflections regarding what languages are or can be used in EMI classrooms and how and why from socio-cultural, personal, and interactional perspectives.

Multimodal interaction in English-medium instruction: How does a lecturer promote and enhance students’ participation in a live online lecture?

This study analysed the multimodal interactive discourse of one English-medium instruction (EMI) lecturer to engage students in a digital environment. It examined the first live online class given to a group of international students living in different countries. A methodology based on the multimodal (inter)action analysis approach was followed to study how interaction unfolded and was promoted and managed. Results showed the complexity of classroom interaction in this digital environment, the importance of lecturer waiting time, the high modal density and functional diversity of the follow-up/feedback stage and the most frequent discourse functions expressed during the interaction. The results will be of interest to designers of EMI training courses concerned with student engagement in virtual settings. Some suggestions are given regarding the need to know how to foster EMI lecturers’ awareness of multimodal interactive discourse.

Classroom interaction in English-medium instruction: are there differences between disciplines?

ABSTRACT English-medium instruction (EMI) programmes have been mushrooming in the last two decades as part of the internationalisation processes. However, the rapid implementation of EMI has outpaced research in many different areas, classroom interaction being one of them. Since classroom interaction is an indication of quality teaching, the analysis of the use of questions made by EMI lecturers needs to be carefully examined. Questioning practices, however, may be determined not only by the use of English as means of instruction but also by the discipline. In this study, we intend to analyse whether the questioning practices of university lecturers from different disciplines differ both in the number and the type of questions asked. Thirty-six lectures from history, engineering and economics at various Spanish universities were recorded and transcribed verbatim, to later on undertake the analysis of the questions made. The findings revealed that questions were not very frequent in class, and that there was no statistically significant difference between disciplines. As for the type of questions asked, confirmation check questions were by far the most common, followed by display, referential and self-answered questions in the three disciplines. Based on these results, some pedagogical implications are drawn with a view to fostering more interactive lectures.

The Role of the L1 in EMI classroom practices

English-medium instruction (EMI) affects lecturers’ classroom practices as they face a new teaching scenario where language(s) can be used to construct lecturers’ identities. Therefore, lecturers can take up different identities because their language-choice acts depend on their communicative and identification purposes. Employing Membership-Categorisation Analysis (MCA) to examine classroom interaction, this paper examines the classroom practices of one EMI lecturer to explore how the orientation towards one language over the others implies a specific function associated with a particular identity. The alternation between languages reveals to what extent EMI lecturers accept or challenge the English-only policy and how lecturers position themselves as English-only or as translanguaging lecturers. This study documents lecturer’s teaching behaviour, particularly how L1-choice acts can be more effective for certain purposes. Studying how lecturers draw from both their EMI-lecturer identity and their L1-lecturer identity, this paper shows how multilingual practices unfold in EMI and highlights the pedagogical value of the L1, hence advocating that the use of languages other than English has, after all, a particular purpose.

Language learning opportunities in native vs. non-native EMI lecturer input: insights for a language-aware approach to EMI teacher training

ABSTRACT Despite a growing body of research on English-medium instruction (EMI), little is known about how actual EMI lecturers’ language practices support L2 learning, specifically key psycholinguistic processes such as learner comprehension and output. This paper presents a classroom-centred study of the L2 learning opportunities found in the EMI lecturers’ input. More specifically, it compares the presence of discourse features and strategies supporting students’ input comprehension and output in a series of EMI classes taught by an English L1 lecturer and an English L2 lecturer at a Catalan university. The results show that both lecturers employ a variety of strategies to foster comprehensible input and student participation in their classes, with a clear bias in favour of the former. The English L1 lecturer provides more support to comprehensible input than his English L2 counterpart, who is keener on student participation. The profile of the students might have prompted the use of different discourse strategies, as well as the lecturers’ beliefs on the nature of L2 scaffolding in EMI. We argue for the importance of developing research-informed EMI teacher training programmes revolving around discipline-specific language awareness and reflective cycles.

Prof-teaching: an English-medium instruction professional development program with a digital, linguistic and pedagogical approach

ABSTRACT Purpose The purpose of this study is to present Prof-teaching, an English-medium instruction (EMI) lecturer training program at the University of Alicante (UA) and to determine if it meets the needs of the institution's current and prospective EMI lecturers. Design/methodology/approach In this case study, the EMI lecturer professional development program is described along with the surveys and course evaluations carried out to assess its effectiveness. The description focuses on the UA context, the key factors that promoted Prof-teaching, as well as the objectives and components of its three modules. Course participants' teaching experiences, needs and challenges are compared together with their course evaluations, which consisted of quality assurance questionnaires for each module. Findings and originality/value The findings not only provide evidence of the program's benefits, but also highlight the importance of collaborative efforts among diverse university units to implement EMI training initiatives, as well as to conduct periodic needs analysis and quality evaluations. An interesting result was that experienced EMI lecturers claimed that pedagogical training was more important than developing linguistic competence. It is recommended that programs provide lecturers with support technology and mentoring schemes with previously trained EMI content lecturers who already have experience teaching their subjects in English.

Comparing Teacher Priorities and Student Uptake in EMI Lectures: An Exploratory Study

English medium instruction (EMI) has been increasing in higher education with broad intentions of stimulating internationalization and cross-cultural learning experiences. This form of education presents opportunities and challenges for teachers and students alike. Key challenges involve various levels of second language (L2) speaking and listening abilities among teachers and students operating in EMI contexts. This exploratory study therefore examines the relationship between the main ideas two EMI lecturers in Sweden intended for their students to learn during lectures and the main ideas that EMI students report learning in the same lectures. Prior to six lectures, the teachers summarized to the researcher the main ideas to be included in the respective lecture. Immediately following the lecture, students provided their own summaries of the main ideas. A keyword analysis comparing the teachers’ intended messages and students’ reports shows that students may not be recognizing and acquiring the main ideas that the teacher intends. Further analysis distinguished two sub-groups of students: those with self-reported Swedish as a first language (L1) and those with self-reported L1s other than Swedish. A binomial proportion test showed that L1 impacted the amount of lecture main idea key words reported by the students in this study. The paper closes with a pedagogic perspective encouraging EMI lecturers to monitor student uptake on a regular basis and adjust their lecture delivery to support better learning and retention of content delivered via EMI.

‘EMI Is a War’ – Lecturers’ Practices of, and Insights Into English Medium Instruction Within the Context of Sri Lankan Higher Education

English Medium Instruction (EMI) is a growing educational praxis in the world. Sri Lanka also practises EMI in primary, secondary and university education contexts. Nevertheless, EMI is not adequately researched: the existing scholarship alludes to the significance of its context-dependency (e.g., Snchez-Prez, Maria del Mar 2020). Moreover, there is a lacuna of scholarly knowledge of how EMI works in Sri Lankan educational contexts. Hence, this exploratory study examined lecturers’ practices of, and insights into, EMI within the context of Sri Lankan higher education. The data were drawn from in-depth qualitative interviews with ten lecturers who teach Social Sciences through EMI at three state universities in the country. Interviewees – encompassing males and females and belonging to varying age groups – have a range of EMI teaching experience and different professional and educational qualifications. Qualitative thematic analysis was utilised to uncover themes related to EMI in the data. Findings disclose a few issues and problems associated with EMI. They underscore the belief that EMI enhances L2 (Second Language) proficiency, thus creating a space for job opportunities for undergraduates, and higher education and professional development for both lecturers and students. Nevertheless, EMI is problematic mainly due to (i) low L2 proficiency in both lecturers and students, (ii) lecturers’ inconsistent praxis in assessing and teaching students, (iii) the shortage of training programmes on EMI, and (iv) arbitrary administration issues including the recruitment of EMI lecturers. The paper provides insights into EMI implementation in English as L2 contexts and adds new vocabulary to EMI praxis and research.

Teacher questions in English medium instruction classrooms in a Turkish higher education setting

This article presents a qualitative study investigating the lecturers’ questions in various English medium instruction (EMI) courses in a Turkish higher education (HE) setting following a social interactionist perspective. More specifically, the study focuses on a comprehensive investigation of lecturer questions in terms of the scope of talk, typology, contingency, the convergence-divergence according to the taxonomy of Boyd (2015). Nineteen hours of EMI lessons from ten different content courses were video-recorded. The findings demonstrated that the most frequent questioning by the lecturers was carried out in mathematics and engineering courses in which more dominance by lecturers’ questioning in classroom discourse was observed. Additionally, results revealed that the EMI lecturers mostly used text-based, display, and convergent questions, which resulted in restricted interaction in classes. As an implication, the study unpacked a need to train EMI lecturers in classroom discourse competence to use the questions more functionally for student involvement in classroom interaction.

Challenges and Professional Development Needs of EMI Lecturers in Omani Higher Education

English Medium Instruction (EMI) has been increasingly used in higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Sultanate of Oman, and the English-taught degree programs have been offered in different disciplines. The adoption of EMI seems to have potential challenges for both teachers and students. While previous EMI studies have attempted to identify and classify these challenges, particularly those of EMI students, little research thus far seems to have focused on EMI subject teacher challenges and training needs. The present study fills this gap by exploring the issue in the Omani EMI tertiary context with a view to better informing EMI teacher education and professional development. A qualitative methodology, with both interviews and classroom observations, was adopted. The data was coded and analyzed thematically and inductively. Results showed that participants encountered both linguistic and pedagogical challenges. Participants also reported their needs for training and professional development. Pedagogical implications and recommendations for EMI content teacher education and professional development are presented and discussed.