scholarly journals EAP as a Bridge to EMI: Learning from the UK

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Gregory Strong
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Course Materials ◽  
University Communities ◽  
English Medium Instruction ◽  
Program Funding ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Goals And Objectives

Japanese universities are increasing their course offerings through English-medium instruction (EMI) and even full-degree English-taught programs (ETP), but language proficiency and the integration of language support courses and EMI classes remain challenges. English for academic purposes (EAP) courses might be used as a bridge to EMI coursework just as they assist international students coming to study in the UK. UK EAP programs are explored through statistics on international students, a description of testing and degree entry language requirements, and semi-structured interviews with 10 EAP program directors and course leaders who outline program funding and autonomy; program perception by university communities; teachers, course materials, goals, and objectives; program and teacher evaluation; teacher support and faculty development. 日本の大学では、教授言語としての英語（EMI: English as a Medium for Instruction）の授業や、すべての単位を英語で修得するプログラム（ETP: English-Taught Programs）が増えてきているので、英語能力測定試験や学術目的のための英語（EAP: English for Academic Purposes）を大学の入学試験に利用するという、より伝統的なアプローチを考察することは有益である。英国におけるEAPプログラムが、そのモデルとして役立つと思われる。本論では、EAPプログラムを次の点から考察する。まず、英国における留学生の試験や入学要件の統計について述べる。次に、プログラムディレクターやコースリーダーとの（臨機応変に質問を変える）半構造化面接のデータについて述べる。前述の両者は、プログラムの資金と自治、大学コミュニティーによるプログラムの認知、教員・教科書・目的、プログラムと教員の評価、教員支援と専門能力の育成などを意図する。さらに、日本の学習課程が本アプローチを採用する方法を探るための提案を行う。

International pharmacy students’ transition to Nottingham: Semi-structured interviews (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yicong Liu
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Teaching Style ◽  
Cultural Adjustment ◽  
Independent Study ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Pharmacy Students ◽  
Learning Ability ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
International Pharmacy ◽  
The Uk

BACKGROUND The transition from China to the UK can be challenging, and there is increasing concern among academics since cross-cultural learning and living may be a challenge for these students. OBJECTIVE To find out international pharmacy students’ worries and challenges as well as benefits on the transition experience from China to the UK. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were used to explore this group of students’ transition experiences. Selective transcription was done because of time limitations in the project. RESULTS The natural and cultural environment was the most pleasant experience for Tianjin students during this transition process. Cross-cultural adjustment and self-adaptability, as well as their autonomous learning ability were the main barriers for international students. CONCLUSIONS The difference between Asian and Western culture caused barriers for international students to fit into a new environment. In terms of integrating into local students, insufficient English language skills, culture shock and personality could be the influence factors. Moreover, the different teaching style and learning style could be the possible reasons for students having difficulty in an independent study. CLINICALTRIAL N/A

scholarly journals Investigation of International Students’ Perception of ‘Community’ in a British Higher Education Institute

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathrine Angela Jackson ◽  
Fay Harris ◽  
Russell Crawford
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
International Students ◽  
International Student ◽  
Global Community ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Student Community ◽  
Research Students ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Future Work

This paper investigates the perceptions of members of our international student community by giving them a voice and a platform to explore their feelings as part of a Higher Education institute in the UK and whether they consider that the university is a global environment. Our data is based on a series of structured interviews with twelve students from twelve different countries, inclusive of four postgraduate research students. Our findings reveal that our international students commonly feel part of multiple smaller communities but interestingly, they were less sure of their part within an institute-wide community. The postgraduate students’ perceptions of community were quite divergent when compared to the undergraduate perceptions, which we will continue to explore in our future work. Our data supports the perception from international students that their university is a global community, but there were distinct differences in how individuals defined it and some limitations to consider. Some defined it as students and staff of different nationalities being present at a university whilst other definitions relied on cultural characteristics within the institution as a whole. We reflect upon the implications of our research as these perceptions shape international student opinion of Higher Education institutes and what is understood by the term ‘global community’.

scholarly journals Travel, Emotion and Identity: An exploration into the Experiences of Students in Post 16 education for whom Studying in English Means Working in a Foreign Language and Culture

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
James Underwood
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Student Identity ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Specific Context ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
High Achieving Students ◽  
Pastoral Support ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Pedagogical Approaches

This paper involves an exploration into the experiences of students in post 16 education taking traditional academic subjects, in the UK, for whom studying in English means working in a foreign language and culture. The students who formed the sample were high achieving students aged sixteen and seventeen from China, Vietnam and Thailand who had come to study in the UK in order to proceed to a British University. In the first part of this paper, the author proposes a conceptual framework suitable for this study. The second part of the paper consists of a summary of the findings from semi-structured interviews conducted with the six participants. In this paper a variety of issues are explored related to the experience of living and studying in England. Although grounded in the specific context of students from three nations studying in the UK. This paper should inform our understanding of appropriate teaching strategies and pastoral and pedagogical approaches for students in a range of multi-linguistic settings.     Keywords: English as an additional language; EAL; International students; ; Pastoral support; Sixth form; Student identity 

scholarly journals QUESTIONING EAP: A CRITIQUE OF THE ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES COURSES AT UNIVERSITY

2021 ◽  
pp. 401
Author(s):  
Natalia Fedorova
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
International Students ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
First Language ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Academic Environment ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Language Requirement

Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses are meant to prepare international students for their undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in an English-speaking academic environment. Prospective university candidates for whom English is not the first language are required to complete a pre-sessional EAP course if their IELTS score is lower than the admissions requirements. Even though, in terms of the language requirement, the lack of language proficiency is the only reason preventing international students from entering their degree programmes directly, the course they are required to take is an EAP course rather than a General English one, hence, not directly addressing their lack of general language proficiency. In this essay I question the need to impose such a course on international students: is EAP in its current shape necessary for their success at university or is it merely a product of neoliberalism in higher education?

scholarly journals Educational Experiences of the International Students in Graduate Programs in Turkey

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yusuf Alpaydin
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Graduate Education ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Graduate Programs ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Academic Quality ◽  
Education Experience

Educational quality determined by factors such as academic climate, physical environment and academic quality of universities are considered essential for growing numbers of international students. This study aims to reveal and analyze the experiences of international students studying at graduate education step in Turkey. To this end, it is intended to describe and analyze the language proficiency, course period and thesis period experiences of international students studying in different fields of graduate programs and their perception on how their expectations were met or their apprehension. Phenomenology, one of the qualitative research methods, is used in the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in the study to flexibly gather data regarding the views of the participants and the differences between their experiences. Purposive sampling and snowball sampling methods were used together in forming a phase of the participant group. Interviews were conducted with 23 students from 18 different countries who are currently in Istanbul and studying in various departments. Descriptive analysis was used to analyze the data gathered from these interviews to examine the graduate education experience of the international students in Turkey. The educational experience of the students is primarily positive, and the students believe that they have received a high-quality education and they were provided with excellent opportunities. However, not being able to acquire academic writing skills or communicate with the professors sufficiently and the unconformity of the graduate education programs with the international educational context are some of the significant problems that were mentioned. 

scholarly journals Learner Beliefs and Language Proficiency in SA Context: A Case study of Chinese Students Taking Pre-sessional Language Course in the UK

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Xin ◽  
Zhang Jiayi
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Chinese Students ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Learner Beliefs ◽  
Combining Data ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University

<p>This study seeks to explore the interrelation between learners’ beliefs and language proficiency in study abroad (SA) context. The participants of this study consisted of 30 Chinese students who were taking the pre-sessional language course at the University of Sheffield in the UK. Combining data from the questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and test scores, the current study tries to answer three research questions: (1) Do learners’ beliefs change in the SA context? If so, in what ways? (2) Does learners’ language proficiency change in the SA context? If so, in what ways? (3) What is the relationship between learners’ English language proficiency and their beliefs about language learning?</p>By investigating learners’ beliefs change in SA context and how such change impacts on their language learning behavior and outcomes, it is hoped that students can have a more fruitful study-abroad sojourn.

scholarly journals Main Challenges of EMI at the UCLM: Teachers’ Perceptions on Language Proficiency, Training and Incentives

2021 ◽  
pp. 39
Author(s):  
Esther Nieto Moreno de Diezmas ◽  
Alicia Fernández Barrera
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Teacher Training ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
La Mancha ◽  
Training Plan ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
English Medium Instruction ◽  
The University

English-medium instruction (EMI) has become commonplace in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Spain and in many other countries, being implemented as a strategy to increase the competitiveness and attractiveness of universities at the international level. The present article investigates the stances of lecturers involved in various internationalization programmes in regard to the challenges that EMI inception and implementation entails, such as language and content integration, English proficiency of teachers and students, teachers’ drives, teacher training needs and institutional support, among other issues. To gain a more comprehensive insight into the development of EMI, data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews with three separate groups of lecturers: (i) EMI practitioners, (ii) lecturers interested in EMI and (iii) lecturers from the Department of Modern Languages, experts in second language acquisition (SLA) and bilingual education. The results showed that the implementation of EMI at the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) is still in its infancy and there are several areas for improvement such as (i) the approval of a multilingual language policy that includes a specific and legally-binding protocol for lecturer recruitment and commitment in the programme, and (ii) the design of a more comprehensive teacher training plan offering accreditation to enter EMI and supporting effective implementation by means of in-service courses.

scholarly journals The Cara Syria programme – combining teaching of English for Academic Purposes and academic and research skills development

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 161-172
Author(s):  
Sarah Brewer ◽  
Karin Whiteside
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Skills Development ◽  
Academic Identities ◽  
The Core ◽  
Research Collaborations ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Administrative Structures

AbstractThe Cara Syria Programme has been developed to support Syrian academics who have had abandon their academic positions due to the conflict in Syria and who have seen their careers compromised as a result. The Programme offers a means to re-establish their academic identities and develop new skills through participation in the learning activities and workshops provided on the Programme itself and through potential research collaborations with academics in universities in the UK. A key element is the training in English for Academic Purposes (EAP), which is delivered in weekly online lessons and intensive language workshops in Turkey. Both the online teaching and the workshops are staffed by volunteers working in language teaching and specifically in English for Academic Purposes. One of the core principles of this teaching is to pitch content in a way that is intellectually motivating and relevant in terms of the participants’ academic identities, but scaffolded to take into account language proficiency levels, which can be as low as CEFR A1. Over the last eighteen months the technology, administrative structures, and language materials suitable for learners at all levels between A1 and C1 have been developed, and the process mapped to ensure sustainability.

scholarly journals Perceptions of Thai Teachers of English Towards English Medium Instruction: A Case Study of a Local Primary School

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (9) ◽  
pp. 13-21
Author(s):  
Tawanshine Penthisarn ◽  
Pilanut Phusawisot
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Intensive English Program ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
English Medium Instruction ◽  
Efl Classrooms ◽  
Speaking Confidence

Using a case study approach, this study investigated teachers’ perceptions of EMI, the challenges teachers encountered while adopting EMI, and opportunities for EMI in Thai EFL classrooms. The participants were three Thai teachers who used English as a medium of instruction in subjects such as mathematics and science in an intensive English program at a private primary school in the northeastern part of Thailand. Data were obtained from teachers’ journals and semi-structured interviews. The data were transcribed and coded into themes using content analysis. The current study reports the perceptions of Thai EFL teachers and reveals the challenges of EMI in Thai EFL classrooms. As the findings reveal, the participants perceived EMI as an educational advantage, as preparation for the international community and as an approach to enhance students’ speaking confidence. Although EMI offers potential benefits, the study reveals that when teaching, the participants are challenged by students’ language proficiency, classroom size, a lack of teaching materials, teacher’s lack of content knowledge and a lack of support from the school. Moreover, the study suggests some recommendations for pedagogical implication in adopting EMI in Thai EFL classrooms.

Supporting non-native university lecturers with English-medium instruction

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 230-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satu Tuomainen
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Academic English ◽  
Content Type ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
Individual Feedback ◽  
English Medium Instruction ◽  
University Lecturers ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Teaching Situations

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe a support course for English-medium instruction (EMI) which continues to expand in European higher education (HE). While the phenomenon of teaching through English is not novel, support for university teachers appears to remain limited despite recognised challenges of EMI such as language proficiency and pedagogical considerations. Design/methodology/approach In the course non-native university lecturers in Finland were provided a course to practice various elements of English for academic purposes and receive feedback on their teaching. A pre-course needs analysis was used to determine the main causes for EMI concerns with non-native lecturers, and which elements of English they wished to develop during the course. The course itself consisted of six joint meetings, followed by individual teaching demonstrations, and concluded with a post-course analysis. Findings Findings suggest that Finnish university lecturers were pre-course most concerned about the accuracy, fluency and pronunciation of their academic English. Based on the post-course analysis, the most beneficial elements of the EMI support course were the reflective discussions about EMI, the language practice and receiving individual feedback. Practical implications The study suggests that support courses for university lecturers involved with EMI should not cover only language but allow lecturers to share their concerns and experiences and to practice in authentic teaching situations in English. Originality/value This study describes a pedagogically effective method to assist and encourage lecturers in HE to the use of English in their instruction.

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