Journal Article

English-medium instruction in Chinese higher education

Lei, Jun, Hu, Guangwei

2014

Overview

With the relentless internationalization and marketization of higher education in the past decades, English has been increasingly adopted as a medium of instruction at universities across the world. Recent research, however, has shown that despite its various optimistically envisioned goals, English-medium instruction (EMI) is not without problems in practice. This article reports a case study of an EMI Business Administration program for undergraduate students at a major university of finance and economy in mainland China. Informed by Spolsky's language policy framework, the study made a critical analysis of national/institutional policy statements and interviews with professors and students to uncover EMI-related language ideologies, language practices, and language management mechanisms. Findings evinced a complex interplay of these three constitutive components of language policy in the focal EMI program and revealed considerable misalignment between policy intentions and actual practices in the classroom. These findings raise concerns about the quality and consequences of EMI in Chinese higher education. The article concludes with recommendations for further research on EMI policies and practices in China. (HRK / Abstract übernommen).

• Publisher: Springer Science+Business Media B. V,Springer Netherlands,Springer,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Alignment (Education) / Attitudes / Ausland / Business / Business Administration Education / Business students / Case Studies / China / China (People's Republic) / Chinese languages / Classroom Techniques / Classrooms / College faculty / College instruction / College students / Colleges and universities / Content Analysis / Content and Language Integrated Learning / Critical theory / Curricula / Education / Education policy / Education, Higher / Educational aspects / Educational Objectives / Educational Policy / Educational Practices / English (Second Language) / English for Academic Purposes / English Instruction / English language / Finance / Foreign Countries / Fremdsprache / Globalization / Graduates / Higher Education / Ideology / Institutionalism / Language / Language acquisition / Language ideologies / Language Ideology / Language of Instruction / Language Planning / Language Policy / Languages / Learning / Lehre / Management / Medium of instruction / Methods / Nonnative languages / Pedagogy / Second language learning / Student / Student Attitudes / Student resistance / Student Surveys / Students / Studium / Teacher Attitudes / Teacher Surveys / Teaching / Teaching Methods / Undergraduate Students / Universities