Medium Of Instruction Research Articles

Grammatical Errors of the Ninth-Grade Indonesian EFL Students’ Writing

Language serves as a crucial medium for communication, enabling the transmission of ideas and information. English, as a global lingua franca, plays a pivotal role in various domains, including trade, technology, academia, and diplomacy. The significance of English proficiency extends to its role as a medium of instruction in educational settings worldwide, facilitating access to global knowledge. Within English education, language acquisition encompasses four key skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Among these, writing is often considered the most challenging skill due to its complex cognitive and linguistic demands. Writing requires mastery of grammatical rules, vocabulary, and formal aspects, which are essential for effective communication. Grammar, as the foundation of sentence structure, plays a critical role in ensuring clarity and coherence in written texts. This paper explores the challenges of writing in English, particularly in the context of grammatical errors in students' writing, and discusses the importance of understanding the components of language. The study also examines the writing process, emphasizing stages such as planning, drafting, editing, and finalizing, and highlights the distinction between errors and mistakes in language use. By focusing on grammatical errors and their sources, such as interlingual and intralingual transfer, the paper underscores the need for effective pedagogical strategies to improve students' writing skills. The analysis concludes that a comprehensive approach to language instruction, with a focus on grammar and writing structure, is crucial for enhancing students' proficiency in English writing.

The impact of concurrent multilingual acquisition on the mastery of L2 English and L3 French articles among native Swahili speakers in Tanzania

ABSTRACT The study investigated the impact of simultaneous acquisition of multiple languages on using L2 English and L3 French articles. With the premise that multilingual acquisition presents increased complexity, the research compared 30 learners solely focused on L2 English with 30 learners simultaneously learning L2 English and L3 French. The participants, Tanzanian L1 Swahili speakers, were Form Two secondary school students learning English as a subject and using it as a medium of instruction. The L3 French group was concurrently learning L2 English and L3 French. Participants were selected using a biographical data questionnaire and grammar placement test. Data collection involved elicitation tests in both English and French, with the L3 French group undertaking both versions. Quantitative analysis was conducted using SPSS. Results demonstrated that individuals learning English alone exhibited higher accuracy in using L2 English articles than those concurrently learning English and French. However, those concurrently learning L2 English and L3 French displayed similar performance in employing L2 English and L3 French articles. Evidence suggested a negative transfer from the participants’ native language (L1 Swahili) to their second language (L2 English). These findings provide empirical support for the complexity of multilingual acquisition.

Systematic review, systematic bias? An example from EMI research

Based on the rigorous systematicity assumed in systematic review methodology, it is no surprise that a prominent review such as Macaro et al.'s (2018) on English medium instruction (EMI) has been used as a basis for subsequent EMI research. However, in this article, we explore the ways in which the focus of systematic reviews can be necessarily narrowed and how this poses a risk to research when readers perceive them as offering definitive conclusions on all aspects of a subject. This article addresses two significant trends in applied linguistics. First, systematic review – that is, the use of formalised systems when reviewing literature – has become far more prominent and therefore more impactful than traditional reviews as a methodology (Chong & Plonsky, 2023). Second, there has been an explosive growth in interest in EMI research (Curle et al., 2024). There are further parallels between the two trends, given that both systematic review and EMI are umbrella terms that cover a wide range of research types. As we will see, there is perhaps more disagreement over how to conduct a systematic review than lay readers would suspect. Similarly, EMI is a broader field of research than appears in its most prominent systematic review article. Studies into EMI have explored policy, language learning, the effect on subject knowledge, attitudes towards EMI, ownership of English, and so on. Thus, while EMI is a growingly recognised field of study, it is not always clear what it means to ‘study EMI’.

Exploring Teachers Perceptions of Generative AI (ChatGPT) Use on Undergraduate Teaching in EMI Context: A Literature Review

This literature review explores faculty perceptions of generative AI, and ChatGPT in particular, in English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) undergraduate education. As AI technologies increasingly impact educational practices, they present unique opportunities and challenges, especially for non-native English speakers, navigating complex academic content. The paper synthesizes existing research on the advantages of AI teaching, including individualized learning and real-time feedback, while also discussing ethical issues, including academic integrity and the possibility of student dependence on AI technologies. It emphasizes the importance of comprehensive teacher training and the formulation of a clear code of ethics to promote the responsible integration of AI in EMI classrooms. In addition, the review points out gaps in the current literature, particularly addressing the long-term impact of AI on language acquisition and critical thinking skills. Finally, this study highlights the importance of providing educators with the required skills to effectively utilize AI in their teaching practices, ensuring that new technologies benefit students rather than degrade their learning outcomes.

Navigating Academic Language in English Medium Instruction (EMI) Science Classrooms in Hong Kong

The use of English to teach content subjects is a growing phenomenon in schools around the world. However, many content teachers in English medium instruction (EMI) classrooms are unsure of the extent to which they should focus on academic language while teaching their subjects. Should they focus on content and not be overly concerned about language, or should they put more emphasis on fostering students’ academic language skills? This study explored the role of academic language in EMI science classrooms from the perspective of secondary teachers and students in Hong Kong through the lens of Systematic Functional Linguistics (SFL) and a sociocultural approach to academic language. Interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with 10 teachers and 50 students, respectively. The results reveal the participants’ attitudes towards academic language in science learning, report relevant practices, and highlight the challenges and coping strategies for teaching and learning academic language in science classrooms. The data shows that the participating teachers and students all had a preference for teaching and learning science content over language. The teachers expressed concerns regarding their students’ limited academic English proficiency for effective communication during science lessons. However, the students focused overwhelmingly on their lack of vocabulary knowledge. Both groups also demonstrated a lack of effective strategies to improve academic English abilities necessary for authentic communication during science learning. The implications of the value of using different registers of English to facilitate EMI science learning are discussed.

The effect of subtitle format on cognitive load and comprehension: an eye-tracking study

ABSTRACT In most universities in South Africa, English is still preferred as the medium of instruction. However, most schools in South Africa have adopted a home-language education approach. Those school students then have a lower English proficiency compared to other students from English schools. Providing these students with instructional assistance with subtitles is essential to their learning. In recent years, advances in automatic speech recognition systems made it possible to automatically generate subtitles. This automation does, however, come with its own issues, namely: speech inaccuracy, timing issues of subtitles, etc. This study will investigate the effect of automatically generated subtitles on comprehension and cognitive load. Findings indicated that the subtitle types differed in the presentation speed of consecutive subtitles. This significantly influenced the comprehension of the participants that had automatic subtitles by 10%. Professionally creating subtitles is expensive and time-consuming, but also has more advantages and positive effects than automatic subtitles.

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SINGLE NATIONAL CURRICULUM IN PUNJAB: TEACHERS' PERSPECTIVES BY EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATION

Education has been recognized to be an important factor in nation-building. Every student has a fair & equitable opportunity to acquire a high-quality education within one education system which includes common curriculum, medium of instruction & assessment platform. A Single National Curriculum is one step in that direction. In 2020, Pakistan's government implemented the SNC, a significant curricular reform aimed at reducing differences in the national curricula and promoting basic competencies for students. Prior to the adoption of SNC, many schools taught a diverse curriculum. The purpose of this study is to investigate teachers' perspectives on the implementation of a SNC in the province of Punjab, taking into account their qualifications and experiences. A quantitative descriptive research design was applied. The results revealed that the highly qualified teachers demonstrated a stronger commitment to the SNC objectives, while experienced teachers exhibited varying level of acceptance showing higher positivity. The study suggested the need for teachers' training and Continuous Professional Development programs in order to implement SNC effectively. The SNC's aim will only be accomplished if the proposed assessment procedure is used, hence improving the examination system.

ENGLISH-MEDIUM INSTRUCTION PROGRAMME IN MALAYSIA: READABILITY OF SCIENCE TEXTBOOKS USED IN DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMME AT PRIMARY SCHOOLS

The use of English as a medium of instruction in the teaching of science and mathematics in the Dual Language Programme (DLP) in Malaysia is to increase students’ exposure to English in developing English proficiency to meet globalisation needs. One of the main issues in the implementation of DLP is student readiness to learn science in English. This study examines the readability of primary school science textbooks using Text Inspector to ascertain the difficulty level of the English used. One unit from Year 1 to Year 6 of science textbooks were analysed. The analysis used two features of the Text Inspector: Lexis: EVP and Scorecard. The findings indicate that the language used in science textbooks is beyond CEFR level B2, which suggests that the readability exceeds the primary students’ English proficiency, hence affecting their ability to comprehend the textbooks. In addition, the findings showed that the readability of the science textbooks does not differ much from Year 1 to Year 6. The study found that the readability of the science textbooks used in primary school is inappropriate; hence, proposes policy and pedagogical implications for teachers to support students learning of science in English.

UNVEILING STUDENTS’ VOICE ON LECTURERS’ CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT IN VIRTUAL ENGLISH MEDIUM INSTRUCTION

A private university in Indonesia has implemented English Medium Instruction (EMI) classes in order to support internationalisation programmes. This policy entails using English as the instructional language in the classroom. This case study examined the teaching practices of seven content lecturers from the Biology, Physics, Mathematics, and Primary Education Departments in EMI classes, focusing on classroom management. Additionally, it explored 208 students’ perceptions in this setting. Data were collected through class observations, questionnaires, and interviews. The findings suggest that effective classroom management by lecturers leads to increased student participation and engagement. The lecturers employed various organisational, teaching management, and teacher-student relationship strategies to manage their classrooms. These findings provide valuable insights into maximising classroom management in an EMI setting, which can enhance critical reflection and support the implementation of EMI classes. The study also highlighted the students' perception of participation and interaction in the class, confirming that lecturers who lack effective teaching skills and multimodal strategies result in passive learning among students.

Exploring Learning Strategies of Students Studying in English-Medium Instruction Courses: A Case Study in the Thai Context

Despite the abundance of research focusing on the perspectives, challenges, and needs of students learning English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI), there is a lack of studies examining the learning strategies employed by students in different academic disciplines. To fill this research gap, this study investigated the most common learning strategies adopted by students in EMI programs and explored the factors influencing their choice of strategies. The study was conducted at a university in Thailand, involving 40 students from medical and engineering schools. A qualitative research design, utilizing an inductive approach, was employed, with data collection conducted through focus group interviews. The thematic analysis revealed that participants primarily relied on cognitive, language-focused, social, and affective strategies. Nevertheless, only a small number employed metacognitive strategies. Furthermore, four main factors—language barriers, content-related issues, tests and assessments, and anxieties—were found to influence students' selection of learning strategies. Pedagogical implications suggest that Instructors should enhance technological integration, provide language support, offer supplementary study materials, and encourage metacognitive activities to motivate students to reflect on their learning experiences. Collaborative learning and a supportive classroom atmosphere are also essential for EMI courses.

A Narrative Study of Pre-Service English Teachers' Perspective on Code-Switching Activities in Their Speaking Class

The majority of Indonesians can speak two or more languages. Code-switching is the practice of language changing or switching to another, which is highly widespread in bilingual and multilingual communities like Indonesia. Code-switching is a phenomenon that also happens throughout the teaching process in ELT classrooms. English is chosen as the medium of instruction in several contexts in Indonesia. One of the contexts is when pre-service English teachers use English as their primary language of teaching. The study aims to explore pre-service English teachers’ perspectives on code-switching in their Speaking classes. The study was performed at the English Education Department in one of the state universities in Jember, Indonesia. An interview was utilized to generate the data. Three pre-service English teachers were voluntarily taken as the participants. The data were analyzed using Thematic Analysis. There were three key perceptions identified from the participants' responses, namely positive attitude, negative attitude, and suggestion on code-switching implementation.

Occupational classes and inequality in educational expenditures: Reproduction of social hierarchy through school education

We examine the role of educational expenditure in reproducing social hierarchy by focusing on occupational segmentation in India. Studies show quality of schools vary by medium of instruction (English/vernacular) and type of management (private/government) in terms of skills they impart to students. While these skills improve the prospects for students’ future upward mobility, educational expenditures vary across school types, with ‘better’ quality schools being more expensive. Educational expenditure is an important channel that shapes the pattern of school participation, which, in turn, may affect patterns of future mobility for children belonging to households located in a hierarchical occupational structure. Using data on school education and household occupational structure for 2007-08 and 2017-18, we classify schools based on their medium-of-instruction and type-of-management, and rank household types in terms of their primary occupation. Given the high economic growth and expansion of schooling opportunities during this period, an improvement in participation of low-ranked household types in ‘better’ schools may be expected, which may improve their future mobility prospects. Using a logistic regression framework, we, however, find that the correspondence between hierarchies of school-types and occupations have largely sustained, crucially mediated by educational expenditures incurred by households. Further investigation shows inequality in educational expenditures between household types has strengthened over this period. A decomposition of educational expenditures across household types shows that while some of the difference in expenditures is explained by the household characteristics in terms of their caste, religion, and educational status, the major part is attributed to differential returns to these characteristics that households reap due to their social positions. Given the structural nature of some of these characteristics, the inequality is likely to continue, thereby sustaining the correspondence between school and occupation types, which, in turn, is likely to reproduce the pattern of occupational and social hierarchy in India.JELI21, I24, I25, Z13

A bibliometric review of research on English as a medium of instruction (EMI), 1974–2022

ABSTRACT This bibliometric review employs science mapping to trace the development of the EMI-related literature and obtained 1378 relevant Scopus-indexed documents published between 1974 and 2022. The study uses co-author analysis, coupling analysis and co-occurrence analysis to reveal the co-authorship network, the most prolific authors, and the most commonly researched EMI topics. The result reveals a rapidly growing publication trajectory since the 2000s when global internationalisation became prominent. However, the overall outgrowth reaches a modest comfort. While this literature is worldwide in scope, publications in four countries – the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Spain, and the United States – provided the most significant publications. Authors with the most publications and citations also come from these countries.

College Students’ Perceptions of English-medium Instruction: A Survey in a Local Chinese University

With the internationalization and globalization of recent decades, English has increasingly become a medium of instruction at universities worldwide. This survey was conducted in a local Chinese university, and focused on college students’ needs and satisfaction regarding content, instructors, and assessment. A mixed method was employed, combining quantitative data from a questionnaire and qualitative data from interviews. The quantitative data were analyzed in SPSS 26.0, and qualitative data were analyzed in NVivo 12 plus. The findings reveal that students generally have a positive attitude towards the needs, content, instructor, and assessment satisfaction in EMI programs, which increased steadily. There is no significant difference in students’ perceptions by gender and self-proficiency, and perceptions of needs, instructor, content, and assessment satisfaction are closely correlated with the overall satisfaction. The study suggests that course design tailored students’ practical needs and advanced teaching techniques are crucial for enhancing EMI courses. Feedback was limited in students’ participation and class size. Gender differences tend to diminish in EMI university settings and English proficiency should be assessed effectively. Needs and satisfaction with content, instructor, and assessment are vital in the overall satisfaction. These insights contribute valuable recommendations for the effective implementation of EMI programs and propose avenues for further research.

Listening strategy instruction for EMI learners to understand teacher input in science classrooms

Abstract Listening strategies have mostly been investigated in contexts where learners listen to audio recordings. However, a much more prevalent and indispensable listening task in the classroom is listening to teacher input, particularly in the English Medium Instruction (EMI) classroom where the goal of learning is directed towards comprehension of content subject knowledge (e.g., science, geography). Research has also shown that teacher talk dominates EMI classroom interaction, making it even more important to understand how learners comprehend teacher input. However, little research has been conducted in this area, and even less attention has been devoted to exploring how learners can learn to listen in this classroom context through strategy instruction. This paper reports on a study that implemented a listening strategy instruction programme for a class of secondary school EMI students. The study started with a needs analysis, followed by strategy instruction sessions, and lesson observations and stimulated recall interviews. This paper presents data from two EMI students as focal participants and explores how they improved their strategic behaviour when comprehending teacher input in the EMI classroom. Both students widened their strategic repertoires, but the high achiever benefited more from the strategy instruction programme than the weaker student. This paper ends with pedagogical implications, highlighting the importance of listening strategy instruction for EMI learners.

Learners'-Teachers'-Parents' Approaches towards EFL Learning: A Case Study at Elementary Levels’ Bangla-Medium Schools in Khulna Metropolitan City, Bangladesh

This study explores the multidimensional attitudes towards learners, teachers, and parents at Bangla-medium schools in the Khulna Metropolitan City of Bangladesh. The initial and first institutional learning starts from elementary schools, indicating pre-primary, nursery, and class one to class five. So, it is crucial to build the foundation of EFL learning platforms where the learners' four language skills can be developed. Considering its standing and global importance, English is a vital language in the workplace, education, and facilitating international communication and cross-border trade and business. The critical goals of the study are to comprehend the viewpoints and approaches of primary school pupils in Bangla-medium schools, the instructional methodologies used by teachers, and the role that parents play in helping their kids acquire the language. Questionnaires, focus group discussions, and classroom observations have been used to collect data and examine the expectations, motives, and difficulties each stakeholder encounters. The results emphasize how crucial interactive teaching strategies are, how important a supportive family environment is, and how learners' particular attitudes toward developing their language skills. The study also recommends how to improve the overall efficacy of English language Learning by organizing teachers' training programs, using English as the medium of instruction, appointing more skilled English Language teachers, making an ideal class size, using digital pedagogical materials tools to develop suprasegmental features; to align curriculum with students' interests; to ensure student-oriented teaching; and to make parental awareness at the primary level in Khulna Metropolitan City.

The Influence of the Language of Instruction on the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics in Grade 4: The Case Dwaalboom Circuit, South Africa

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of the language of instruction on the teaching and learning of mathematics. The perpetual poor learner performance in mathematics was a compelling factor in this study. The researcher, as the long-serving grade 4 mathematics teacher, chose grade 4 learners because the transition from grade 3 has negatively impacted the acquisition of mathematics proficiency. The grade 4 have just graduated from the foundation phase where the language of teaching and learning was the mother tongue. In general, the grade 4 performance in mathematics showed a significant decline compared to their performance in the foundation phase. The study followed a qualitative research approach with a case study research design. The population in this study consisted of grade 4 learners and three grade 4 mathematics teachers. Simple sampling was used to select ten learners from each school and three mathematics teachers. The researcher used the interpretation technique to analyze the results. The researcher used a multiplicity of data collection to interrogate the mathematics language proficiency of grade 4 learners. The researcher believed that mathematics was a language on its own; therefore, using various data collection methods would answer the research questions. Preliminary findings revealed that learners who received instruction in their mother tongue in the foundation phase struggle to understand mathematics concepts when English is used as the language of instruction. Furthermore, learners who used English as their medium of instruction in the foundation phase seemed to have the upper hand over learners who used their mother tongue as their language of teaching and learning in the foundation phase. In conclusion, this may lead to grade 4 learners not comprehending mathematical vocabulary, communicating ideas clearly and grasping abstract concepts.

Correction: English medium instruction in Ethiopian university mission statements and language policies

Correction: English medium instruction in Ethiopian university mission statements and language policies

Medical Students’ Perceptions of ChatGPT Integration in English Medium Instruction: A Study from Saudi Arabia

ChatGPT has significantly impacted various educational sectors, including English-medium instruction (EMI). This study explores perceptions of Saudi medical students at the University of Bisha on integrating ChatGPT into their EMI coursework, focusing particularly on its influence on their comprehension and application of medical terminology in English. Employing a descriptive research design, this research collected data from 54 students using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Data collection was facilitated through a questionnaire administered via Google Forms, with responses analyzed statistically using SPSS and qualitatively through thematic analysis. Results indicate a positive student reception towards ChatGPT, particularly its role in enhancing their understanding of medical English. These findings suggest substantial pedagogical benefits, proposing that meticulous integration of ChatGPT could significantly improve EMI in medical education. The study highlights ChatGPT’s capability to aid students in grasping complex medical terms and concepts, stressing the importance of strategic deployment to maximize educational outcomes. Furthermore, this research underscores the necessity for ethical guidance to enable students to critically evaluate the accuracy of information, thus mitigating dependence on potentially erroneous AI outputs. This study establishes a foundational framework for the future integration of ChatGPT in EMI, contributing innovatively to the field.

Lexical complexity in academic lectures: Comparative analysis of EMI and Non-EMI settings and influential factors

Despite the substantial body of research on vocabulary in English Medium Instruction (EMI), there is a noticeable dearth of corpus-based studies examining lexical complexity of EMI lectures, particularly in specific disciplines. To fill this gap, this study developed an EMI spoken academic corpus in Business (EMIB) with 120 lectures collected from 54 lecturers with nine different first languages (L1), reaching 1.12 million tokens. The study compared the lexical complexity of EMI Business lectures in China with academic lectures in Anglophone and non-Anglophone settings, represented by teachers’ speech in the British Academic Spoken English Corpus (BASE) and the Corpus of English as a Lingua Franca in Academic Settings (ELFA), respectively. Lexical complexity was conceptualised by lexical sophistication (operationalised by lexical frequency profile and mean frequency band score) and lexical diversity (operationalised by the VOCD-D). Results show that ELFA has significantly higher lexical sophistication than BASE, and significantly lower lexical diversity than BASE and EMIB. This study further explored whether speaker L1, speaker gender, and discipline contributed to the lexical complexity of lectures using multiple linear regression with interaction terms. Results show that speaker L1 and discipline significantly impacted the lexical complexity of lectures. Pedagogical implications are discussed.