English Medium Instruction Teacher Research Articles

The affordances of iPad for constructing a technology-mediated space in Hong Kong English medium instruction secondary classrooms: A translanguaging view

Despite the widespread use of mobile digital devices such as iPads in teaching and learning, there is little research on the ways in which content teachers make use of the technological affordances of the iPad to achieve pedagogical goals in bilingual/multilingual classrooms. This article adopts translanguaging as an analytical perspective to explore how the use of the iPad extends the semiotic and spatial repertoires for enabling the English Medium Instruction (EMI) teacher to create a translanguaging space for supporting multilingual students’ learning of new academic knowledge. The data for this article is based on a linguistic ethnographic project in an EMI mathematics classroom in a secondary school in Hong Kong. Multimodal Conversation Analysis is used to analyse the classroom interactional data, triangulated with the video-stimulated-recall-interviews that are analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The article argues that the iPad provides opportunities for the EMI teacher to fully exploit the semiotic and spatial resources for creating a technology-mediated space in the classroom. Such a space in turn allows the teacher to accomplish content teaching and build a more engaging environment for learning.

The Relationship Between Teachers' Classroom English Proficiency and Their Teaching Self-Efficacy in an English Medium Instruction Context.

This article examines the relationship between English medium instruction (EMI) teachers' classroom English proficiency and their teaching self-efficacy. The literature review highlights the difference between general language proficiency and classroom language proficiency by focusing on the EMI teachers' language of instruction and their language of interaction. Self-reported data were obtained using two measuring scales from 188 EMI teachers from a Chinese public university. The Pearson correlational analysis indicated that there was a strong positive relationship between the EMI teachers' classroom English proficiency and their teaching self-efficacy. Among the four constructs of the Classroom English Proficiency Scale, both language of instruction and language of interaction have a higher correlation with teaching self-efficacy than grammar or pronunciation. The linear regression analysis suggests that language of instruction has a significant contribution to the variance of teaching self-efficacy. The findings reveal the need to prioritize the strategic training of language of instruction skills to EMI teachers who are not so proficient in English. Arguably, this helps to foster the achievement and maintenance of higher teacher self-efficacy.

The profiles of English medium instruction teachers in higher education

AbstractThe global growth of English Medium Instruction (EMI) in higher education and international mobility of faculty and students necessitates that we better understand commonalities of teachers in these emerging contexts. This paper reports on a survey of 461 EMI university lecturers from more than eight countries which attempted to discern the various profiles of EMI teachers at an international level. Data explored teachers’ disciplines, age, experience, professional development, teaching contexts, and the role of English proficiency in their professional capacity. Results revealed statistically significant differences in profiles according to the disciplines and country of residence of the teachers. For example, teachers in the Natural Sciences and those in Spain were more likely to report having opportunities for teacher training and EMI certification.

Classroom interaction in EMI high schools: Do teachers who are native speakers of English make a difference?

English Medium Instruction (EMI) in secondary education has increasingly become a focus of research. One dimension of this research has been on whole-class interaction patterns of teachers and students, interaction having been established as important for learning in both second language (L2) contexts and in content subjects such as science. Previous EMI studies have reported teacher dominance of the interaction and low levels of student participation. A possible explanation has been that research hitherto has investigated mostly local EMI teachers who have been reported to lack the linguistic proficiency to engage in ‘unscripted’ interaction. To explore this we investigated the interaction patterns of 15 secondary science teachers in EMI high school programs in China, for whom English was their first and most proficient language in order to eliminate the teacher language proficiency issue. Our findings show that interaction was similarly teacher dominated and students’ responses were of low linguistic complexity. Suggestions for further research to identify the reason for low student participation are given, together with some implications for EMI teacher professional development.

Repositioning English-Medium Instruction in a Broader International Agenda: Insights from a Survey on Teacher Professional Development

As a result of the internationalization of higher education across the globe, many programmes in non-Anglophone countries are shifting to English-medium instruction (EMI) to attract international students and staff, develop global skills in the home student body and increase employability (Dafouz and Smit 2020). Against this background, the purpose of this article is to argue for the need to reposition EMI teacher professional development (TPD) in a broader engagement portfolio, one that aligns more directly with the internationalization strategies of universities and that incorporates all the agencies involved. Adopting an applied linguistic angle, this study focused specifically on the Strategic Action Plan for TPD implemented between 2016-2019 at a large Spanish university. Methodologically, the study drew on an intra-university survey addressed to academic staff (n=2091) as a needs-analysis to tap into lecturers’ views of internationalization and EMI. The results will be useful for universities wishing to develop EMI TPD initiatives from an international perspective. The study closes with a reflection on the implications for the stakeholders involved, from university management, to academic staff, EMI educational developers and English language specialists.

Professional learning for educators teaching in English-medium-instruction in higher education: a systematic review

ABSTRACT The growing phenomenon of university courses designated as English-medium-instruction (EMI) worldwide presents new demands for non-native-English-speaking educators. However, adequate preparation and professional learning support for them to teach academic subjects in English remain a challenge. An understanding of their challenges and professional learning (PL) needs in EMI teaching is critically needed. This review examines 115 articles in English and Chinese on PL for EMI educators in HE, covering numerous countries. It critically reviews the literature to identify the common challenges in EMI teaching, and how and to what extent educators are prepared and supported for EMI teaching. Findings revealed EMI educators are often found unprepared and/or inadequately supported for their new roles. They face multiple challenges when embarking on EMI teaching. The review reveals misalignments between challenges facing educators and formal PL on offer. It also highlights the importance of informal ongoing PL and educators’ agency in orchestrating their learning.

Developing EMI teachers through a collaborative research model

ABSTRACTEnglish Medium Instruction (EMI) research has mushroomed in response to the rapid increase in EMI courses in higher education (HE) worldwide. Despite concerns about the need for EMI teacher professional development (PD) there are few studies on PD in EMI. We present a study of EMI teacher PD which adopted a model of equal status collaborative research between a language specialist and two EMI teachers whereby the latter were presented with highly detailed analyses of their lessons over a period without evaluative commentary/feedback from the language specialist. Our findings suggest that the two teachers reacted enthusiastically to the model but one teacher felt a greater need to move towards an interactive pedagogy than the other. Possible explanations are given and suggestions for adapting future research are made.

A Case Study of EMI Teachers’ Professional Development: The Impact of Interdisciplinary Teacher Collaboration

This study examines the impact of interdisciplinary teacher collaboration on English-medium instruction (EMI) teachers’ professional development in higher education. Five content teachers from a variety of academic backgrounds jointly designed, developed and implemented an interdisciplinary EMI course at a private university in Taiwan. Based on classroom observations, in-depth interviews and document analysis, the findings show that content teachers’ attitudes towards EMI teaching became more positive as a consequence of participating in teacher collaboration. The findings also stress the value of teacher collaboration in supporting content teachers’ language teaching strategies and instructional language use in EMI. Implications and directions for future research are also provided.

Linguistic demands and language assistance in EMI courses. What is the stance of Italian and Spanish undergraduates

This paper delves into students’ view on English-medium instruction (EMI) in two South European countries, Italy and Spain. In particular, two topics which have been less frequently investigated are addressed: the linguistic demands of students and the need students may feel for some form of language assistance. To this end, a paper-based questionnaire was given to 290 undergraduate students, 145 of whom being Italian (from the Department of Engineering) and 145 Spanish (from the Departments of Business Administration, Engineering, Economics, History, Economics and Law, Marketing, and Public Administration). The questionnaire contained close-ended and open-ended questions regarding their pre-university EMI experiences, whether content teachers should be assisted by language experts, and what aspect of EMI teaching should be paid heed to. The results revealed some agreement between the two nationality groups, with some interesting exceptions regarding the language skills students viewed as more difficult, and as a result, the areas in which they feel the need for language support. In general, both groups favoured language assistance, although they considered that this responsibility does not fall within the remit of content lecturers. The data also showed differences linked to the specific disciplines, thereby confirming the impact of students’ specialization on the EMI experience.

Measuring the effectiveness of English Medium Instruction Shipping courses

Purpose Shipping courses contain much technical and specialist knowledge and present particular challenges for English medium instruction (EMI). This paper aims to investigate both student perceptions of the importance and satisfaction level of EMI in shipping courses in higher education in Taiwan and the perceptions of expert stakeholders through qualitative interviews. Design/methodology/approach Importance-performance analysis (IPA) is used to gather data on participants’ perceptions of what is (un)important and (un)satisfactory. Based on past studies, four dimensions with 20 items were developed and 121 effective questionnaires were collected. Further, qualitative interviews with expert stakeholders (n = 9) are undertaken to gather data to contextualize and complement the quantitative student data. Findings Findings show students attributed high importance but low satisfaction to items such as course learning objectives and students’ English level, and low importance and high satisfaction to items such as electronic teaching platform and relevance of subject to practice. Factor analysis and cluster analysis were used to divide samples into three groups. Qualitative interview results confirm many of the quantitative findings but also show where some quantitative findings require more attention or investment when delivering EMI programmes. Research limitations/implications Questionnaire samples focus on university students. Other related field samples (e.g. EMI teachers, shipping teachers, English teachers, etc.) could be surveyed and compared in future studies. Qualitative interviews could also be expanded to other stakeholders such as government policymakers. Practical implications The findings of IPA in the shipping courses and the qualitative interviews can be used for both teaching design and implementation in related courses by university lecturers and other stakeholders (e.g. policy and decision-makers). Such approaches can enhance students’ learning motivation and teaching performance. Social implications This paper provides important guidance and diagnosis for how to introduce English teaching in shipping courses. Related courses can be further applied in higher education to popularize and promote EMI teaching in shipping and related fields. Originality/value EMI has seldom been studied in the context of shipping courses in the past. This paper adopts IPA method and qualitative interviews to complement previous studies and address gaps in recent research. It is expected that the research findings could be adapted and applied in other fields.

Understanding the Learning Challenges of English-Medium Instruction Learners and Ways to Facilitate Their Learning: A Case Study of Taiwan Psychology Students’ Perspectives

English-medium instruction (EMI) has become a global education phenomenon in recent decades, especially in higher education. However, its implementation is still facing criticism. On the one hand, learners are welcoming the envisaged benefits of preparing them with professional content knowledge and English language proficiency to compete in the new global economy; on the other hand, they are reluctant to take the courses because of the challenges and difficulties EMI creates. Meanwhile, EMI lecturers are concerned about students’ inability to survive, or better still thrive through EMI learning. EMI lecturers are experts in their professional domain but are not trained or prepared to teach EMI courses yet. This qualitative study examines the perception of first-year undergraduate students taking the EMI foundation psychology course in Taiwan, focusing on their perspectives of factors facilitating or hindering their EMI learning, and their suggestions for improving the situation. The results not only point out what kinds of teaching practices contribute to challenges for EMI learners in their learning process but also the underlying reasons and the pedagogy practice that students suggest can be used to improve the situation. Insights provided by this study can be used to assist EMI lecturers in examining their pedagogical practice and expand their knowledgeability about pedagogy. They can also be used as a way forward for assisting in the development of EMI teacher training and professional development, and the implementation of EMI.

A critical look at teacher development for English-Medium Instruction

Abstract Widespread incorporation of English Medium Instruction (EMI) in higher education has created the need for teacher development initiatives (EMITD) to prepare university lecturers whose first language is not English to teach their content subjects in English. The planning and implementation of such initiatives has frequently been assigned to university language services and the language specialists that collaborate with them. Existing research provides information regarding planned EMITD initiatives, yet there is little research exploring how planned programs are interpreted and implemented in interaction. Such information is vital for quality assessment and for ongoing development. This conversation analysis-informed case study contributes direct evidence regarding how a planned EMITD process is implemented in interaction. Video-recorded interactional data from an EMITD process at a Catalan university are analysed. Participation and notions of interdisciplinary collaboration frame analysis of negotiation sequences. The findings reflect significant modification of the originally planned collaborative process and the roles of participants and the co-construction of participation frameworks that do not support interdisciplinary collaboration. These findings suggest the importance of examining EMI training processes on a local level to better inform future EMITD initiatives and the need for development of training initiatives for EMI teacher trainer-mentors on the part of university language services.

Professional development through reflective practice for English-medium instruction (EMI) teachers

ABSTRACTThe constraints and demands on teachers and students, related to implementing English medium instruction (EMI), mean that teachers need to be able to reflect on their practice and make appropriate adjustments. Reflective practice generally means that EMI teachers subject their philosophy of practice, principles, theories and practices to a critical analysis so that they can take more responsibility for their actions. Reflective practice allows EMI teachers to act in a deliberate, intentional manner. Reflective practice involves EMI teachers systematically looking at what they do, how they do it, why they do it, what the outcomes are in terms of student learning, and what actions EMI teachers will take as a result of knowing all of this information. Thus experience combined with systematic reflection can lead to professional growth so that we can become more effective language teachers. In this paper I discuss what reflective practice is and how it can be accomplished by EMI teachers.

English medium instruction in China’s higher education: teachers’ perspectives of competencies, certification and professional development

ABSTRACTDespite the increasing popularity of English Medium Instruction (EMI) for academic subject teaching in China, there is little research regarding the competencies that an EMI teacher needs for effective EMI course delivery and professional development (PD) in the higher education (HE) context. No research has investigated how those can be recognised through certain kinds of certification. This study fills the gap by investigating teachers’ perspectives on competencies, certification and PD of EMI in relation to China through 133 survey returns and 12 semi-structured interviews. Our findings show that teachers have a generally positive attitude on EMI certification and PD programmes though few universities have made either a priority. Competencies required for effective EMI teaching include not only English proficiency and teaching skills through L2 but also skills of instruction in respective academic disciplines. This poses challenges for the design and implementation of EMI PD leading to teacher certification. The lack of official government involvement (at policy level) and institutional involvement (evaluation and faculty promotion) further complicates this issue in a country like China with a top-heavy bureaucracy.

Chinese students’ perceptions of English learning affordances and their agency in an English-medium instruction classroom context

To promote English learning is an alleged benefit of implementing English-medium-instruction (EMI). However, English learning is supposed to occur incidentally in most EMI contexts. From the linguistic-ecological perspective, incidental language learning is premised on two conditions: linguistic inputs are perceived by learners as affordances, namely, perceived opportunities for action provided by the environment, and learners are excising their agency to engage with these affordances and the learning environment. Despite a substantial body of research investigating various aspects of EMI, there is a scarcity of research on students’ perceptions of EMI classroom activities and teachers’ instructional language use as English learning affordances, the manifestation of their agency and its mediating factors. Drawing on the ecological concepts of ‘affordance’ and ‘agency’, this study intends to fill this void using a mixed methods design. One EMI teacher and 134 students in a Chinese university were involved as participants. Data were collected primarily through classroom observation, a questionnaire, and interviews over a 2-month period. Findings show that activities that required students’ active engagement proved to be affordances perceived more positively. The manifestation and development of English learning agency were varied and personalised, mediated by both contextual and individual factors. Implications are also discussed.

EMI teacher and student identities and linguistic practices

Abstract Although the incorporation of English Medium Instruction (EMI) in multilingual higher education institutions is widely accepted, it may be a source of tension for university professors for whom English is an additional language, particularly when both teacher and students share an L1 other than English. A need exists to examine how linguistic attributes of EMI are interpreted and executed by participants. This study focuses on dialogue between a content specialist and a language specialist during an EMI teacher development partnership at a multilingual Catalan university. Membership Category Analysis (MCA) explores the categories made relevant in interaction, category associated features and responsibilities, and their procedural relevance within the interaction. The article focuses on results relating to the emerging identities of EMI classroom participants and related linguistic attributes. The results shed light on tensions relating to language use in EMI, and may inform EMI teacher development processes and classroom language policy.

Training for English-Medium Instruction in French Higher Education: Keeping Pronunciation in Focus

English-Medium Instruction (EMI) is spreading in French higher education and this paper argues that appropriate support for teachers willing to teach their subject in English should focus on both language and content, and on the pedagogical specificities of combining the two. More specifically, I argue that the pronunciation component of any such training must go beyond improving a teacher’s intelligibility. Training in the specificities of spoken English – for both teachers and students, as interchangeable speakers and listeners – should aim to improve two things: attitudes toward variation of spoken language and awareness of the cognitive impact of foreign-accented speech (FAS) (speech which exhibits acoustic features from a speaker’s mother tongue(s)). In this paper, I start by describing pronunciation as a subject in English language teacher training in the English-speaking world and second language pronunciation as an international research field. This is followed by a brief description of EMI teacher training in France and the presentation of a few key findings of research into the social and cognitive impact of FAS. I then outline what is involved for both listeners and speakers, if we want to modify their attitudes to spoken language variation and to improve their cognitive comfort in processing FAS. Example training exercises are outlined, and in the conclusion a greater role is advocated for English language teachers within the internationalisation of French higher education.

Research on Effective Teaching Methods for English-medium Instruction Computer Networking Course

Chinese universities have been strongly supported by government to promote English-Medium Instruction (EMI) in the past two decades. While EMI is not simply translating lecture contents into English, the teaching methods should be adjusted accordingly. This study aims at seeking effective EMI teaching methods for engineering courses, taking the case of Computer Networking course in Shanghai Maritime University. Several computer-aided teaching methods have been practised, including interactive teaching with Rain Classroom, class demonstration with Wireshark and Packet Tracer, video review, online teaching resources, and hands-on projects. Based on our teaching experience, a 3-step interactive teaching routine was set up and practiced. The comparing result of three consecutive years’ final exam scores and labs scores show an overall improvement of the students’ learning outcomes. An online questionnaire was designed to investigate the students’ opinions on teaching contents and methods. The collected survey results and feedbacks show that most of the students approve of our EMI teaching methods. But there are up to 27.5% students who still consider EMI academic course is difficult. The cross comparative result of the online students’ survey reveals that the students’ previous EMI experience greatly affects their perceived level of difficulty. It should be very helpful to offer an introductory EMI course or an ESP (English for Special Purpose) course for the engineering freshmen to prepare them for the follow-up EMI academic courses.

English medium instruction: Comparing teacher beliefs in secondary and tertiary education

Learning content through the medium of a second language is a form of education which is growing rapidly in both secondary and tertiary educational phases. Yet, although considerable research now exists on these phases of education viewed separately, virtually no comparisons have been made between the two phases. This study compared beliefs about English medium instruction (EMI) held by 167 secondary and tertiary EMI teachers from 27 countries. Teachers’ beliefs were elicited in four key areas: EMI teachers’ goals, EMI policy, benefits and drawbacks to students, and challenges to teachers. The findings indicate that secondary teachers felt more strongly that EMI provides students with a high quality education. More secondary than tertiary teachers reported an institutional policy on the English proficiency level required of teachers to teach through EMI, yet in neither phase was there evidence of adequate support to reach a required proficiency level. Teachers deemed EMI beneficial to advancing students’ English but felt that EMI would affect academic content, with no clear difference between the phases. Our conclusions indicate that EMI is being introduced without thorough institutional stakeholder discussion and therefore without clear policies on levels of teacher expertise. Neither is there evidence of a dialogue between phases regarding the challenges faced by EMI teachers and students.

Fostering team teaching: Mapping out a research agenda for English-medium instruction at university level

Although English-medium instruction (EMI) courses are burgeoning at university level on a global scale, there is a scarcity of pedagogical guidelines about how to implement effective courses, while most higher education institutions rarely offer courses aimed at helping EMI teachers tackle this new teaching context. An additional concern has to do with the fact that content EMI lecturers tend to avoid language aspects, a weakness that could be overcome by boosting team teaching, that is, the collaboration between language and content teachers. Previous research reveals that team teaching improves undergraduates’ learning and can also be a gratifying experience for the teaching staff involved, who usually highlight the motivational boost it gives them because it stimulates reflection on their pedagogical knowledge and practices. In this paper I put forward research tasks with a view to enticing researchers to embark on projects focused on this uncharted territory, as team teaching is a research field in which much remains to be done.