Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'English-medium'

The discourse on English-medium teaching in higher education uses several terms and concepts to describe practices, very often synonymously. This contribution aims to fill the research gap of a conceptualisation of English-medium teaching in higher education. It will identify relevant approaches and their corresponding terminology, as well as clarify which approaches are most suitable for higher education. Given that the past decades have seen a substantial rise in the use of English as a teaching language in European compulsory schooling [Dalton-Puffer, C. 2011. "Content and Language Integrated Learning: From Practice to Principles?" Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 31: 182-183], the paper will also draw parallels between the secondary and the tertiary levels of education. At the same time, it will also be shown why insights drawn from research conducted in secondary education cannot simply be transferred to the tertiary level of education. The main focus of the paper is on the "English-medium Paradigm", a framework created to identify prevalent instructional types in Englishtaught programmes at universities in non-Anglophone countries [Unterberger, B. 2014. "English-medium Degree Programmes in Austrian Tertiary Business Studies: Policies and Programme Design." Dissertation, University of Vienna, 45-52]. The paradigm is based on terminological and conceptual considerations gained from the critical discussion of English for specific purposes, English for academic purposes, Content and language integrated learning and English-medium instruction literature [e.g. Bhatia, V. K. 1993. Analysing Genre: Language use in Professional Settings. London: Longman; Hyland, K. 2006. English for Academic Purposes: An Advanced Resource Book. London: Routledge; Dalton-Puffer, C. 2007. "Academic Language Functions in a CLIL Environment". In Diverse Contexts - Converging Goals: CLIL in Europe, edited by D. Marsh, 201-209. Mehrsprachigkeit in Schule und Unterricht 6. Frankfurt am Main: Lang; Dafouz, E., and U. Smit. 2014. "Towards a Dynamic Conceptual Framework for English-medium Education in Multilingual University Settings". Applied Linguistics. doi:10.1093/applin/amu034]. The paper therefore provides a timely conceptualisation of the varieties of English-medium teaching in higher education which also takes into account pedagogical considerations as well as implications for curriculum design.

Recently, many institutions in non-Anglophone contexts have switched to using English as a medium of instruction in education mostly as a strategic response to globalisation and internationalisation. This switch has increased the intake of international students and staff, leading to the representation of diverse languages and cultures on campuses. Researchers, fascinated by such transformations, have explored issues around EMI from various perspectives, but less from a language perspective, which is largely concerned with language policy and practice. Given this gap, this research explores Turkish students’ and lecturers’ perceptions of English, by considering their institutions’ English language policies and practices from their viewpoints. In doing so, part of the aim is to discover the language ideologies guiding students’ and lecturers’ perceptions of English. Using a mixed-methods research design, this research project employed three sets of data collection tools: questionnaires, individual interviews and documentary data. The research was conducted with undergraduate students and lecturers from three disciplines of three Turkish EMI institutions located in two provinces of Turkey. To analyse quantitative data, descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, i.e. the Kruskal-Wallis tests and the Mann-Whitney U tests were conducted. To analyse qualitative data, a mixture of qualitative content analysis and discourse analysis was utilised. The results show that overall, participants have monolithic perceptions of English in line with their positive perceptions of their own English being perceived as akin to native English, and of their institutions’ English language policies and practices grounded in native English. The results also demonstrate that many participants were more negative vis-à-vis others’ English, including that of Turkish students and lecturers whose English they perceived to be not native-like. It also emerged that various language ideologies, which were found to be formed by several factors, e.g. previous educational experiences, external factors and personal aspirations, have seemed to guide participants’ normative perceptions towards English. The research has ideological and practical implications for English language policy and practice in EMI universities as well as policy makers and content teachers both in Turkey and in other similar settings. The results propose that university policymakers should revise their institutions’ current academic English language policies to make them more linguistically ‘in-line’ with the current sociolinguistic reality of English — for example, by determining more appropriate entry requirements or by providing more appropriate EAP support for students. The research also has implications for ELT and EAP practitioners regarding the teaching of English and testing. ELT and EAP practitioners are recommended to reflect on their normative practices and expectations of their students’ language use and question the appropriacy of teaching standard (i.e. native) English to students who will, most likely, use English for communication with non-native English speakers and, primarily, for instrumental purposes, such as for the purpose of carrying out their academic tasks. At a more practical level, ELT teachers and EAP instructors can adopt error correction techniques which are mainly focused on meaning and content rather than on accuracy and show tolerance to students’ divergent use of English, with an emphasis on their “Englishing,” i.e. what they can achieve by using English, particularly for assessment.

Questa tesi riflette l’attuale interesse per il dibattito educativo sul ruolo e sull’uso dell’inglese come lingua veicolare in ambiente accademico. I programmi che utilizzano l’inglese come Medium of Instruction (EMI) sono al centro dell’attenzione di questo studio, che si compone di una parte quantitativa e una parte qualitativa. Attraverso un’analisi aggiornata dei dati raccolti da Costa e Coleman nel 2012, la prima parte descrive i risultati di un questionario spedito a tutte le università italiane; la parte qualitativa descrive l’utilizzo dei marcatori metadiscorsivi impiegati da quattro docenti dell’Università Cattolica di Milano. A tale scopo, è stata adottata una versione semplificata del modello di Ädel (2003), proposto da Nobles (2010), e applicato in questa sede al discorso accademico orale. L’aumento del numero di corsi di EMI in Italia registrato da Costa e Coleman nel 2012 è rimasto stabile. Il confronto tra l’uso di marcatori metadiscorsivi personali e impersonali mostra un maggior utilizzo dei primi, in particolare del pronome personale “we”. Infine, lo studio vuole fornire dati e riflessioni a docenti, istituzioni universitarie e legislatori, utili anche alla progettazione di corsi di formazione per insegnanti.
This thesis reflects the shared current interest in the ongoing educational debate on the role and use of English as a medium of instruction in academic settings. English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) programs are the main focus of this study which includes a quantitative and a qualitative part. Through an up-to-date analysis of the data on EMI courses in Italy collected by Costa and Coleman in 2012, the first part shows the results of a questionnaire that was sent to all Italian universities; the qualitative part describes the use of metadiscourse markers by four Italian lecturers at the Università Cattolica of Milan. The simplified and restricted classification model of metadiscourse markers proposed by Nobles (2010), adapted from Ädel (2003), was here applied to the academic spoken discourse. The increase in the number of EMI courses in Italy registered by Costa and Coleman in 2012 has remained stable. The comparison of the use of personal and impersonal metadiscourse shows that personal metadiscourse tokens surpass the impersonal counterpart, with the pronoun “we” as the most frequent self-mention marker in the corpus. Finally, the present study can be of great interest both for lecturers and university policymakers or teacher-training designers.

The impact of the first language on the second language has long been a vibrant and controversial issue in terms of second language acquisition. The impact or influence happens when learners learn a new language and transfer features from their native language to the new language. This paper investigates to what extent Bengali learners’ native language influences their use of articles in English as a second language and whether there is a difference depending on the language of instruction (Bengali and English, respectively). To do so 20 essays from two schools, one teaching through Bengali and one through English, a total of 40 learner essays were collected and examined. The results show that Bangladeshi English learners are influenced by the noun forms in Bengali and their ability to use English articles hardly differs according to the type of school they attend.
Förstaspråkets inverkan på andraspråket har länge varit en levande och kontroversiell fråga när det gäller språkinlärning. Påverkan eller inflytandet sker när inlärare lär ett nytt språk och överför karaktärsdrag från sitt förstaspråk till det nya språket. Den här uppsatsen undersöker i vilken mån bengaliska elevers modersmål påverkar deras användning av artiklar i engelska som andraspråk och om det är någon skillnad beroende på undervisningsspråk (bengali resp. engelska). Materialet är 20 elevuppsatser vardera från två skolor, skola A (undervisning på bengali) och skola B (undervisning på engelska), dvs totalt 40 uppsatser samlades in och analyserades. Resultaten visar att bengaliska elevers engelska texter visar drag av substantivformerna som används i bengali, och deras förmåga att använda engelska artiklar skiljer sig inte åt i någon större utsträckning beroende på undervisningsspråk.

This thesis examines the implementation of the policy for English-medium education in government-run schools in Bhutan, a small multilingual developing country in the eastern Himalayas. It identifies factors influencing its effective implementation, plus policy and practice measures to improve learning outcomes for students. It takes as a theoretic framework an approach known as ‘content and language integrated learning’ (CLIL). This involves integration of language and subject teaching. The study addresses the following research question: How can implementation of Bhutan’s policy of English-medium education be enhanced? Data to address these questions were gathered through a literature review, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and classroom observations. The study also draws on personal experience. The findings reveal that implementation of Bhutan’s policy of English-medium government-run education could be significantly enhanced. Students are not attaining control over English at desired levels of schooling; classroom practices favour didactic teaching-learning approaches; teachers’ tend to teach toward terminal examinations and adhere to traditional teacher and student roles; and subject teachers do not consistently support students’ English language development. The study also found that many stakeholders, including policy-makers, teachers, curriculum developers and teacher trainers lack awareness of the concept of language-related disadvantage in education and approaches for more effective second language-medium teaching and learning. This includes a lack of language-sensitive classroom practices in both language and subject classes. These findings highlight the need for teachers to make different methodological choices inside classrooms. To do this, teachers should become skilled and confident in the use of classroom practices which support students’ English language learning. Key stakeholders, particularly policy-makers, teachers and teacher educators, must understand and accept the need for further policy and practice measures to support language-sensitive teaching-learning approaches for English-medium education in Bhutan. The implications of these findings for policy, practice and future research are further elucidated.

Due to the internationalization of European higher education, English has been gaining importance as a medium of instruction. This tendency may also be observed in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium. Yet, the Flemish government severely restricts the use of languages other than Dutch for teaching purposes. This monolingual policy contrasts sharply with the multilingual reality in Flanders, and has its roots in history. Belgium was constructed in 1830 as a French-speaking state, even though French was spoken by a minority. The Flemish majority and their language were effectively oppressed, and it was not until 1930 that Dutch was recognized as the language of higher education in Flanders. Language remains a sensitive issue in Belgium, and Flanders in particular has established close links between its language and identity. Alongside this essentialist attitude, a strong normative tradition may be observed, which may be linked to linguistic insecurity. As a result of the 'language struggle', language is commonly framed in terms of threat (from 'foreign' languages) and protection (of one's own language and culture). Yet, whereas in the past French was imposed from above, today's English is more readily accepted from below. The aim of my research was to analyse the policy and discourse on English-medium instruction (EMI) in a highly language-sensitive context. I analysed bottom-up (semi-public) discourse as well as top-down discourse (government and university policy), focusing on academic practices (EMI attitudes expressed by Flemish students and lecturers). I used a plurality of ('critical') methods, drawing on language policy research, discourse analysis, .~nd language attitudes research. I made use of texts (in their widest sense), questionnaires and interviews. The results reveal a dichotomy between political and academic discourse on EMI. Whereas the former is clearly ideological, the latter tends to be more pragmatic. Flemish students and lecturers in general express positive attitudes towards EMI, although they think some kind of regulation is necessary. Their attitudes are determined by a number of interrelated parameters, including age, experience, need, language command, and ideology. A culture shift has taken place in Flemish academia, in that English has replaced French as a second language, and it has arguably become the first academic language instead of Dutch (even though its use as a medium of instruction remains restricted). Many students and lecturers regard language in general - including foreign languages - as part of their identity, rather than (standard) Dutch only. The current language policy regarding EMI appears to be counterproductive, and may not be tenable in a globalizing academic environment.

Mestrado em Ensino Superior - Erasmus Mundus
Esta tese explora o tema do Inglês como língua de instrução no ensino superior europeu, através da comparação de dois países, Portugal e Finlândia. Duas universidades (a Universidade de Aveiro e a Universidade de Tampere) foram seleccionadas como estudos de caso. A investigação segue uma metodologia qualitativa aplicada às especificidades de um estudo comparativo, e a recolha de dados foi feita através de análise documental, bem como de entrevistas em ambas as instituições. A revisão da literatura sobre o tema sugere que o Inglês como língua de instrução está associado à internacionalização, à globalização e à Europeização, e tais conceitos são esclarecidos. A política de língua no contexto Europeu e sua definição também é debatida. O neo-institucionalismo é o suporte teórico em torno do qual os dados são organizados, e consideramse os mecanismos coercivos, miméticos e normativos ao analisar os racionais, as condições e os efeitos da introdução de programas ministrados em língua inglesa. Os documentos nacionais e análise política de ambas as instituições revelam que a internacionalização do ensino é cada vez mais proeminente em ambos os países e que o processo de Bolonha adjuvou a sua importância, mas que a acção governamental no caso da Finlândia é determinante no número elevado de cursos ministrados em Inglês. No entanto, ambos os países têm igual participação no programa de mobilidade Erasmus Mundus, o revela que as forças supranacionais também contribuem para o aumento de programas em língua inglesa, através da importância crescente do prestigio e do posicionamento internacional que levam as instituições a iniciar estes programas. No entanto, se isomorfismo mimético pode ser perceptível na propagação do inglês como língua de instrução, a análise também revela que as características culturais, cognitivas têm ainda uma forte influência na adopção e adaptação de tais programas, e o caso Português revela uma preocupação visível com a diversidade linguística e com a promoção da língua portuguesa, e caso finlandês destaca uma abordagem mais pragmática da introdução destes cursos, devido aos desenvolvimentos recentes na legislação educacional do país. Por fim, a necessidade de mais investigação nesta área é ressaltada, especificamente a oportunidade de um estudo quantitativo nacional, no caso Português, e também de um estudo sobre ensino de línguas estrangeiras no ensino superior nos dois países. ABSTRACT: This thesis explores the topic of English medium of instruction in European higher education, by comparing two countries, Portugal and Finland. Two universities (the University of Aveiro and the University of Tampere) were selected as case studies. Research follows a qualitative methodology applied to the specificities of a comparative design, and data collection was made through documentary analysis as well as interviews in both institutions. Literature review on the topic suggested that English medium instruction is associated with internationalisation, globalisation and Europeanisation, and such concepts are clarified. Language policy in European context and its definition is also debated. Neo-institutionalism is the theoretical support for data organisation and the mechanisms of coercive, mimetic and normative forces are considered when analysing the rationales, conditions and effects of the introduction of English Degree Taught Programmes. National reports and policy analysis of both institutions reveal that internationalisation of teaching is increasingly important in both countries and that the Bologna process was a touchstone to it, but that governmental action in the Finnish case is determinant in the prominent number of English Taught Degree Programmes. However, both countries have equal participation in the mobility programme Erasmus Mundus, which reveals the extent to which supranational forces also contribute to the increase of English medium instruction, through the growing importance of quality, benchmarking and international positioning that lead institutions to launch these programmes. However, if mimetic isomorphism can be perceived partially in the spread of English medium instruction, the analysis also reveals that cultural-cognitive features still have a strong influence in the adoption and adaptation of such programmes, as the Portuguese case reveals a visible concern with language diversity and promotion of the Portuguese language, and the Finnish case highlights a more pragmatic approach to English degree language programmes, due to recent developments in educational regulations. Finally, the need of more research in this area is stressed, specifically the need of a national quantitative study in the Portuguese case, and also the need of a study on foreign language education in higher education in both countries.

Thesis (M. Ed. ) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2014
The aim of this study was to investigate the English Language Proficiency of non-English speaking learners in the Foundation Phases. An in-depth literature study was conducted to investigate this phenomenon. The historical background of language provision in South-African schools, the issue of language and cognition and different aspects of mother tongue education was touched on. The implicaitons of the current situation of the Language of Teaching and Learning (LoLT) for teaching and learning in South Africa was also covered. A qualitative research design and methodology were deemed appropriate to explore the challenges and strategies used by Foundation Phase teachers to enhance the English language proficiency of their learners. The research findings of the empirical investigation were presented in accordance with themes and categories that emerged from the data during the thematic analysis of the eight semi-structured individual interviews. The main concerns of the participants regarding the way to address challenges were presented. The complexity of this phenomenon pictured in my mind. The research findings lived up to my expectations and confirmed what was found in my literature study. Hence I came to realise that the experiences of the participating teachers were extremely important in reaching the conclusions of this research. The major research findings and meaningful issues came to light from the literature review and the empirical evidence. Finally recommendations are put forward for the consideration of Foundation Phase teachers, schools and the Department of Education (DoE) when dealing with the proficiency of their learners.

In many South African schools where English is used as the language of instruction learners with a different mother tongue are accepted, yet they may experience many challenges. In this research study I investigated whether group music therapy sessions can have a positive impact on such learners in relation to particularly two of these difficulties. The first difficulty is social interaction and integration. The second difficulty is their negative attitude towards English, the school and their school work. This difficulty develops because of their weak competency in the language. The paradigm in which this study falls is interpretive and a qualitative approach was used. A case study design was utilised. Ten music therapy sessions were offered to a group of nine grade eight boys from three different linguistic backgrounds: three English home language speakers, three Portuguese home language speakers and three siSwati home language speakers. Music therapy offers a non-threatening environment in which group members can creatively interact. I made use of an array of techniques including improvisation, movement, song writing and musical games where group members had opportunities to express themselves in an unconventional way. Three different sources of naturally-occurring data were used. Questionnaires were filled in by all participants before the commencement of the sessions, five video excerpts were selected from the music therapy group sessions and a focus group was held with all participants after the last session. Data was analysed according to Ansdell and Pavlicevic’s (2001) qualitative content analysis. Responses from the questionnaires and focus group and thick descriptions from the selected video excerpts were coded and categorised according to Gibb’s (2007) proposed technique of open coding. Results generated from the analysed data indicated that, through the opportunities afforded to the group in music therapy sessions, social interaction was experienced in a novel way and integration was enhanced. Findings also indicated that, through this unique way of interacting, the attitude of some members towards English improved. There were also indications that improvement was not across the board and individuals reacted differently to the process. A much longer process could hold far more convincing results.
Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2013.
lmchunu2014
Music
unrestricted

The United Arab Emirates promotes English as the Medium of Instruction (hereafter referred to as EMI) at tertiary level, which results in many ‘content’ subjects being taught via English. Many institutions employ native English speaking teachers, referred to as either NESTs or NS, for language classes and insist that content teachers operate through this second or other language (L2), to the detriment of ‘non-native’ English speaking teachers in terms of recruitment, and also to the detriment of the students who must study their major subjects via a foreign language. NS teachers are expected to enforce a monolingual classroom environment where English is compulsory and use of the students’ first language is penalised. The U.A.E. is also engaged in spreading this monolingual culture to primary and secondary schools. This mixed methodology study evaluates faculty and management perceptions of the English medium status quo and current concerns within the TEFL/ TESOL profession. As well as surveying faculty opinions via a quantitative questionnaire and then a qualitative appraisal of written comments, interviews with senior management aided a critical appraisal of so-called ‘common-sense’ (Tollefson, 2002) policies and assumptions. The quantitative stage indicated discrepancies between different groups of faculty and the qualitative analysis of written comments and interview data allowed for some, often contradictory, themes to emerge. It will be suggested that many faculty were unconvinced that monolingual classroom environments were efficacious. EMI was challenged on the grounds that studying through another language adds to the learner’s cognitive burden (Troudi, 2009) and makes mastery of content subjects more difficult and contingent upon the student’s language skills. The management interviewees conceded these issues but felt that Content and Language Integrated Learning in English was vital for students who must function in an increasingly globalised market place. Little thought was given to what this might mean for the status of Arabic. It was recommended that Arabic should be reinstated as the medium of content instruction, that English be taught as a foreign language only, and that the way in which English is taught should be critically overhauled to make best use of the diverse skills of NESTs and NNESTs alike. It was also suggested that countries such as the U.A.E. are more likely to achieve the modernity they seek by following a model where the L1 is the language of instruction, while English fulfils its parallel role as a foreign language and international lingua-franca.

In Pakistan, educational institutions function in parallel under three separate systems: public, private and madrassas. The incidents of 9/11 brought madrassas into the limelight and they emerged as the most controversial educational institutions of Pakistan. International scholarship is polarized on the madrassa issue and presents two opposing pictures about these institutes. For some, madrassas are the cause of radical ideology and militancy, while for others they are a source of free education for the underprivileged. This research compares the attitudes of students attending madrassas with those of students attending other types of school. A comparison of the world view of students coming from different schooling systems was made concerning socio-political and educational issues including an examination of attitudes towards jihad and Islamic militancy. It is argued that students educated under different systems have divergent ideologies about the primary purpose of education, sectarian diversity, the status of women and non-Muslims in Pakistan and, most importantly, Islamic militancy. To determine the worldview of students about the aforesaid issues, both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used. The data were collected from the students of private and public schools and madrassas in South Punjab (N=500). It is argued that madrassas are stratified with some being more liberal than others. The questionnaire and interview tool used in the study attempted to find out the students‘ responses on armed Jihad, sectarian divide, the status of women, the position of non-Muslims in Pakistan and about the purpose of education. The analysis illustrated the ways in which Pakistani society is polarized along socio-economic lines and how different types of schooling are associated with distinct world views. The results indicate that the students from madrassas are somewhat more aggressive and intolerant towards the religious minorities and women than the students of English medium and Urdu medium public schools. They are also less tolerant towards people of other sects and are more susceptible to sectarian prejudices than their counterparts in the English medium and Urdu medium schools. In the same vein, the students from madrassas are more supportive of militancy and jihadist activities than their counterparts. In this regard, the students from Shia and Brailvi madrassas are comparatively less inclined towards the Jihadi notion than that of Ahle Hadith, Deaoband and Jamaat-e-Islami madrassas. While most previous studies of madrassas have presented them as homogeneous institutions, this study highlights the extent to which they are internally stratified and shows that the students studying in these schools have contradictory viewpoints with respect to certain socio-political and religious issues.

There is a great tendency in using literature as a medium of language teaching because literature plays an essential role in developing the students’ language skills. It also helps them in acquiring cultural experiences and to attain a better understanding of the literary texts. The Swedish National Agency for Education supports the inclusion of literature in English language classes in each of primary, secondary and even upper secondary schools. This research aims to examine the underlying reasons behind incorporating literature in teaching English, specifically in Swedish secondary schools grades 7-9, and it sheds light on how teachers manage to employ literature effectively in the classroom. Moreover, it explains the criteria behind selecting appropriate literary texts that suit students’ needs. The study also states some problems that may encounter teachers in adopting literature as a way of teaching. All these issues are discussed through conducting qualitative interviews with three English teachers. This study points out that literature has been used as a paramount tool for teaching English. By reading literary books, students’ knowledge about social and cultural issues is developed and their language skills also become better. Furthermore, teachers mention that there are several central criteria to note when using literature during the process of teaching literature, such as selecting literary materials with topics that students can find interesting to work with. Different kinds of tasks have been assigned to students to get the opportunity to describe, analyse and reflect upon what they worked with.  Some of the challenges identified by the teachers are lack of time and the students’ different skill levels. More studies are required regarding the efficacy of using literature as a helping educational tool in English language learning from students’ views, in particular considering individual and linguistic improvement.

The focus and the overarching aims of the study are to investigate Omani engineering students’ perceptions of their learning experiences and the challenges which they face due to English being the medium of instruction in colleges of technology in Oman, as well as the strategies which they use to overcome their difficulties. This study also examines the views of engineering, EAP and subject teachers in Oman concerning the skills and attributes which they consider to be important for their students to succeed. Qualitative and interpretative methodologies were combined with a multi-theoretical framework to elicit the students’ experiences and perceptions of study through English as the Medium of Instruction (EMI) provision as well as their responses to it. The data for the study was generated and gathered through semi-structured interviews, observations and the review of course-related documents. The study revealed that the participating students generally held positive views towards EMI, mostly on the basis that it would help them to improve their language skills, which would in turn enhance their employability. The students, however, encountered many EMI-related and non-EMI-related challenges. The most common problems related to lecture comprehension, oral and written communication, and discipline specific issues. Students developed a range of coping strategies, one of the most common being translanguaging. The study indicates that there are a number of issues which need to be considered to improve the in-sessional EAP courses in relation to EMI-related challenges. The interviews highlighted the role and importance of subject teachers in helping students. Engineering students need an array of skills and attributes to function well in engineering programmes taught through the medium of English, including sophisticated communication skills, transferable skills, critical thinking, resilience, flexibility and the appropriate language skills. The study underlines a need to review the pre-college schooling system and foundation programmes in Oman if they are to effectively prepare students for English-medium college programmes. It is also recommended that training to teach through the medium of English should be included in the induction process for new subject teachers in Omani colleges of technology.

　　This study explored a group of mainland Chinese research postgraduate students’ attitudes to using English in their current academic and daily lives in Hong Kong. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected. An interview survey with seven participants was carried out to seek in-depth information about participants’ perceptions of using English in Hong Kong. Based on the major themes found in the preliminary analysis of the interview survey, an online questionnaire survey was designed and sent out to investigate a much larger group of mainland research students' English language use experiences in Hong Kong. 　　The results revealed that this group of students generally had positive attitudes to using English in their academic lives in Hong Kong while had relatively negative attitudes to their experiences of daily English language use. Their perceptions of the English of different groups of people in Hong Kong were varied although they all opined that English was an important language in the educational, commercial and other formal settings in Hong Kong. The pedagogical implications for mainland research students, their academic supervisors and university language policy makers are discussed and future research directions are suggested.
published_or_final_version
Applied English Studies
Master
Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

This socio-linguistic study investigates attitudes of French speakers of English to using English for academic purposes. The study is situated within the post-Fioraso Law period (2013), which sees France joining the process described as the ‘internationalisation' of Higher Education in Europe. This study confirms that rather than encouraging multiple languages in academia, the term ‘internationalisation' implies ‘Englishisation' in Europe by contributing to studies which show how English is instrumental to academic identity in Europe. Through the use of complementary qualitative methods (questionnaires, interviews, visual methods and classroom observations), the narratives of 164 academics working at the science faculties of Nantes University were analysed for how they positioned their professional identities in relation to the use of English for professional purposes (such as writing research papers, presenting at conferences, and teaching in English as a medium of instruction, EMI). The major divisions regarding the attitudes towards English as a medium of academic identity in France are to be found in the issues relating to the legitimacy and authority of French speakers of English within the wider international academic community. The principal arguments are based on beliefs concerning the ownership of the English language and whether it is possible for L2 speakers of English to ever identify themselves as being anything other than ‘learners of English', despite repeated proof of their language expertise. The study concludes that within French Higher Education in 2016, English is a strategic medium through which to access research and teaching communities. Ownership of the English language as an identifying feature comes second to the emerging bilingual identities of the participants who are competing in the global market of Higher Education.

This study aims to investigate Namibian teachers’ attitudes towards English as a medium of instruction in Namibian classrooms. Regardless of the fact that English has no historical ties with Namibia, English still operates as the official language and the language of instruction in schools. This study briefly discusses the probable reasons for choosing English as an official language in Namibia, and as the medium of instruction in educational institutions. Furthermore, it discusses the attitudes that Namibian teachers have towards English as a medium of instruction in Namibian classrooms. A pilot electronic questionnaire, a revised questionnaire, and telephone interviews were used to acquire data for the study. The results indicate that English is a challenge for many learners and this poses a challenge to teachers as well. However, a majority of teachers from this study portray English as the language that is capable of uniting Namibian learners from different backgrounds, and a language that makes education possible in Namibia. In addition, teachers also reported that knowledge of English opens up educational opportunities for learners to study abroad.

Europe's largest business university, WU sees offering master's programmes in English as a means to stay competitive. This paper highlights the roles of English and other languages at a strategic level in the university as well as in intercultural student teams. The data is taken from a multi-modal research project investigating students' language and interaction in teamwork on English-medium programmes. The results show that students use English as the medium of communication in and out of class and for discussing task-related topics, while they use other languages for socialisation purposes and to develop a sense of community. (author's abstract)

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore experiences of English medium schools in Sweden through the narratives of participants (students and parents), and the educational philosophy of one independent school organisation. The theoretical perspective of Knud Illeris’ learning dimensions has been applied as an analytical tool to investigate the content, incentive and social/societal dimensions. As previous research on English medium education in Sweden have mainly investigated the content and incentive dimensions of learning, this study has a stronger focus on the social and societal dimension. A phenomenological approach extracted the experiences from participants in English medium schooling as written or oral narratives. The perspective of an English medium school organisation was explored through their educational philosophy as described in their Ethos. One of the main results of this study is that the positive influence of English is mentioned in all learning dimensions. English is not only described as an important learning content and incentive to learn, but also as an essential part of the school culture and an access to a global society. Another result is the importance of the unique school atmosphere that has been created through consistent rules of conduct and high expectations of academic achievement. The cultural diversity in the school and how this is described as a motivational factor and an opportunity to share and learn other perspectives is the final main result of the study.

Intemationalisation presents a challenge to higher education at many levels. For many universities, it is a process that has been considered synonymous with teacher and student mobility. Mobility is indeed an important part of this process and in some places the ultimate test of intemationalisation but changes also influence curriculum development. The focus on teaching and learning in an intercultural environment, particularly on language instruction and competence is not without prerequisites and stimulates debate about the degree of accommodation made between local and global needs within academic disciplines. This study looks at two national contexts, Denmark and Sweden, which represent similar but different aspects of higher education in the Nordic countries. Both have languages which are little used beyond their national boundaries. The cross-institutional quantitative comparative analysis tests hypotheses about the impact of intemationalisation policy on the availability of English taught courses and conversely that of English medium teaching on intemationalisation. The study uses university organisational settings, policies and activities to determine if there is a causal relationship between policies of intemationalisation and an increase in English medium teaching in higher education. The study is a two-phase, sequential mixed methods approach where the focus group is directors of studies at Danish and Swedish university campuses. Findings from the study show that while the university profiles of Denmark and Sweden are similar, the two countries differ in having policies of intemationalisation and providing English language taught programmes at undergraduate and graduate levels. At a time when efforts to increase English medium teaching in European institutions are moving through various response stages, the Nordic perspective shows that while intemationalisation policy is not a pre-requisite for English medium instruction, practice is significantly influenced by national level explanations.

The South African Language-in-Education Policy (LiEP) states that mother tongue should be the preferred medium of instruction in the Foundation Phase (grade R-3). Primary tuition is therefore currently offered in the 11 South African official languages. The challenge faced in South African schools that offer African languages in the Foundation Phase, is the fact that from grade 4 onwards, education is only available through the medium of English. This results in a vast number of learners having to make a transition in grade 4 to English as medium of instruction. In this qualitative study, I explored the experiences of teachers and learners in this transition. The context of this case study is a poverty-stricken and underdeveloped rural area. SiSwati is the language commonly spoken in this area and English is spoken, heard and read only in the classroom. Purposive sampling was done, including three grade 3 classes and their teachers, as well as the grade 4 learners and the teachers teaching siSwati, English and Mathematics. Data was collected through interviews, observations, document analysis and field notes. Conventional content analysis was conducted. Among the theoretical lenses adopted for the study was Krashen’s input-interaction-output model of second language learning. This informed the process grade 4 learners undergo in learning English as a second language and medium of instruction. The findings of this study revealed that the challenge regarding this transition is not the English language per se, but rather a deficient home language foundation and the quality of teaching offered. The learners’ age at the time of this transition also plays a significant role, as it affects their readiness to switch to another language. The implications of this study relate to the necessity of a solid mother tongue foundation and improved quality of teaching. It is suggested that the admission age in grade 1 be seven years and the actual point of transition prolonged.
Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2017.
Early Childhood Education
MEd
Unrestricted

Research on code switching (CS), the use of more than one language in a single piece of discourse, has focused on various aspects of the phenomenon. For example, research has concentrated on switching that occurs between turns of interlocutors in a piece of discourse, sometimes between sentences within a single tum and sometimes within a sentence. Researchers have approached this discourse behaviour from various perspectives. For instance, some investigate the social functions of the switches, others explore the linguistic constraints on the switches. Furthermore, most of this research has examined CS in non-educational contexts. Research on classroom CS, the focus of this study, took hold in the mid 1970s. Researchers began to investigate the communicative functions of CS and the frequency with which teachers and learners used certain languages to perform different functions. Recent studies on classroom CS focus on the sequential flow of classroom discourse and "the way in which codeswitching contributes to the interactional work that teachers and learners do in bilingual classrooms" (Martin-Jones 1995:91). The approach used in these studies is the conversational analytic approach grounded in ethnographic observation. In South Africa little research has been done on classroom CS, though it makes an important contribution to the interactional work of teachers and learners in classrooms. This study explores the use of English and Xhosa in the classroom as a learning and communicative resource. Its focus is on the communicative functions of the switching behaviour of a teacher as she interacts with her pupils. In other words, this study looks at how the research subject uses English and Xhosa to get things done in the classroom. As the classroom situation observed is dominated by the teacher, this study concentrates mainly on her communicative repertoire. It does not attempt a full linguistic description of the switches made by the research subject, for example, it does not deal with linguistic constraints on CS. One of the major findings noted in this study is that the research subject does not use CS so as to avoid using English. She uses CS as a learning resource. It has also been noted that CS is used by the research subject as a contextualisation cue, for example, we noted the way it co-occurs with other contextualisation cues like nonverbal communication cues. This is in line with Martin-Jones' (1995) viewpoint that CS is not used by bilingual teachers simply to express solidarity with the learners but to negotiate and renegotiate meaning.

This qualitative study explores the aspirations and expectations of fifty-two young people attending a Welsh-medium and an English-medium school in the South Wales Valleys (an area which has undergone significant and economic changes as a result of deindustrialisation). These young people were first interviewed at the start of Year 11 when they were considering their futures after compulsory education. Some of these young people were interviewed again approximately a year after to explore whether they were able to achieve their aspirations and to examine whether their long-term aspirations had changed. This study illustrates how wider trends such as the contraction of the youth labour market and increasing participation rates in further and higher education as well as transformations in the local labour market have changed the way in which young people understand their educational and employment prospects. Different to some of the young people in Brown’s (1987) Schooling Ordinary Kids study, all of the young people in this study aspired to stay in some form of education and training after Year 11. This study also identifies three types of students – The Academic Inheritors, the Academic Strivers and Vocational students – which differ in terms of their orientations to education and occupational futures. There are also variations between these types of students in terms of their social background, educational experiences and the character and usage of their social networks. The different types of students highlight the limitations of accounts which present Rational Choice Theory (associated with the work of Boudon (1974) and Goldthorpe (1998)) and Bourdieu’s Cultural Reproduction Theory as opposing/competing explanatory theories. This study also compared and contrasted the aspirations and expectations of young people who attended a Welsh-medium and an English-medium school. This study shows how school choice has an impact on the social composition of Welsh-medium and English-medium schools in South East Wales, with Welsh-medium schools on average having lower proportions of students from poorer households compared to English-medium schools. School choice provides some explanation for the differences between the aspirations of young people attending the Welsh-medium and the English-medium school in this study. This study offers a new analysis of the aspirations and expectations of young people finishing compulsory education, in a context of significant social and economic change. It also makes an original contribution by exploring the aspirations of young people who attend a Welsh-medium and an English-medium school – something which has not been explored in depth before by researchers. In addition, this study contributes towards debates regarding the extent that Rational Choice Theory and Bourdieu’s Cultural Reproduction Theory are able to explain young people’s aspirations and expectations. In attempting to explain differences in student orientations, it also shows that it is extremely difficult to empirically test the relative merits of these theories and as such contributes to existing discussions of educational opportunities and inequalities. This study also has policy implications regarding how key actors such as policymakers and schools can provide support to young people to fulfil and achieve their aspirations.

The purpose of this study was to determine perceptions of students, teachers and parents concerning English-medium instruction and their perceptions of English as a foreign language. The research design of the study comprised a nation-wide questionnaire survey and individual interviews. The sample for the survey consisted of 982 students, 383 teachers and 988 parents in 42 Anatolian high schools across 32 provinces in Turkey selected using statified and criterion sampling. The participants of the interviews were six students, four teachers and four parents. Two distinct instruments were used for data collection
a survey questionnaire containing five-point Likert scales and open-ended questions
and a semi-structured interview schedule. To analyze quantitative data, descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA and bivariate correlations were conducted. The qualitative data of the interviews and open-ended questions were analyzed via content analysis. Results indicated that students, teachers and parents do not favor English-medium instruction at secondary education. Regardless of their position on English-medium instruction, participants underscored problems of implementation of English-medium instruction at Anatolian high schools. A positive correleation was found between perceptions of English and perceptions of English-medium instruction for each group. Results also showed that all groups perceive English positively as a foreign language, and support the teaching and learning of English. According to students&
#8217
and teachers&
#8217
perceptions, English-medium instruction influences the instructional process in math and science in Anatolian high schools, and poses problems particularly in the learning of the subject matter.

This thesis presents English-medium instruction (EMI) in the Swedish context, focusing on perspectives and practices in two schools. The research question is as follows: How and why is EMI offered, chosen, and practiced in the Swedish upper secondary school today? The aim is to explore the status of the educational option, the reasons for offering EMI to stakeholders, the stakeholders’ beliefs about and goals of EMI, and the implementation of EMI in the classroom. A survey of all upper secondary schools in Sweden was conducted to ascertain the spread of content teaching through a foreign language. The educational context was studied from an ecological perspective using methods based in linguistic ethnography. Language alternation, academic language, and language hierarchy were all considered. Interviews were analysed for content; and classroom language use was analysed for language choice and function. The concepts of affordance and scaffolding together with translanguaging were key. The de facto policies of the micro contexts of the schools were examined in light of the declared national policy of the macro context of Sweden. The results indicate that the option in Swedish schools has not increased, and also tends to only be EMI—not Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) or instruction through other languages. EMI is offered for prestige, an international profile, marketing potential and personal interest. EMI students are academically motivated and confident, and see the option as “fun”. 100% EMI in the lessons is not the goal or the practice. Translanguaging is abundant, but how language alternation is perceived as an affordance or not differs in the two schools. One focuses on how the languages are used while the other focuses on how much each language is used. In conclusion, the analysis suggests that a development of definitions and practices of EMI in Sweden is needed, especially in relation to language policy and language hierarchy.

This exploratory, interpretive study investigates the attitudes towards and experiences of English-medium instruction (EMI) within higher education (HE) on the part of female students completing an intensive foundation programme at a major federal tertiary institution in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Two data collection procedures were employed in this study, a 21-item questionnaire, and in-depth, face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. Content analysis was performed on transcriptions of the latter, a procedure which gave rise to recurring, emergent themes. Such themes included the belief expressed by some participants that having the second language (L2) of English as the medium of instruction (MI) can act as a barrier to learning, and that it would be preferable to study in their first language (L1) of Arabic. Additionally, it was found that some students believed their secondary school education had failed to afford them adequate preparation for EMI HE, a disturbing finding given that the government of the UAE appears to have stated a desire to achieve universal HE for females, whilst also signalling its intention to eliminate university-based foundation programmes. In addition to such academic-related findings, it emerged that there exists significant ambivalence towards the place and standing of English in contemporary Emirati society, with a recurring theme being that whilst knowledge of and proficiency in English is required for the globalised economy, and thus for the future of the country, the pervasive spread of the English language in the UAE poses a threat not only to Arabic, but also to the religious identity and cultural integrity of the indigenous Emirati population. The findings of this study lead to the recommendation that the UAE implement a paradigmatic shift in its language policy within federally-sponsored HE by reverting to Arabic as the primary MI, with English as a foreign language (EFL) or English as a second language (ESL) as a subject replacing EMI.

Education in South Africa has experienced many changes since the dawn of democracy in 1994. The demographic composition of schools has changed dramatically as urbanisation has increased and the movement of people is no longer regulated by Apartheid laws. Classrooms now are multi-lingual and multi-cultural with learners from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. Many senior teachers at Ditlou Primary School started their teaching careers more than 20 years ago and were trained to work within an almost homogeneous school context, using their mother tongue - Afrikaans - exclusively as the medium of instruction. They are now required to teach in English. The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to describe the communicative dispositions of Afrikaans-speaking Foundation Phase teachers and to establish how the changing linguistic context of Ditlou Primary School may have influenced their communicative dispositions when teaching. This qualitative study is theoretically underpinned by McCroskey’s Model of Instructional Communication (2004) as a theoretical framework and used interpretivism as an epistemological paradigm. Data were collected through extensive field work. The instrumentation included a language-biography questionnaire, semi-structured and group interviews and a participant journal. The data collected were pooled categorised and coded (deductive and inductive). Although unique to each teacher-participant, key findings suggests that a generic communicative disposition could be sketched for Afrikaans-speaking Foundation Phase teachers at the research site. The teacher-participants agreed that they spoke at a much slower pace and that their voice pitch was higher than when they taught in their mother tongue. The volume of their speech also differed when using English for instructional purposes. Their oral proficiency in the language of teaching and learning could be considered sufficient. In terms of non-verbal communicative aspects, the layout of all classrooms was strictly traditional and authoritarian ensuring learner eye-contact constantly. Yet despite strict discipline, teachers prioritised the emotional well-being of their learners by displaying positive haptic and kinaesthetic behaviour. The influence of personality or temperament on their communicative disposition cannot be negated and is directly linked to their habitual behavioural patterns and unique traits exhibited in their classroom communication. The changed linguistic context primarily influenced the teacher-participants communicative dispositions by necessitating a switch to English as the medium of instruction - a language which is neither theirs nor the learners’ home language. Teaching multi-cultural and multi-lingual learners also had a direct bearing on how the teacher-participants communicative dispositions changed although this was self-reported and would need further investigation. Further recommendations emanating from this study include providing a framework to prepare pre-service teachers to teach in a non-native language and to help them develop effective communicative dispositions for the classroom.
Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2017.
Humanities Education
MEd
Unrestricted

English-medium instruction (EMI) is a growing trend in higher education around the world. In Japan, EMI has recently expanded dramatically and over one-third of Japanese universities now have EMI programs serving both international and domestic students. Amid this rapid growth, much of the EMI development has been ad hoc or characterized by difficult implementation. EMI stakeholders face critical linguistic, cultural, administrative, and institutional challenges. This study explores good practice in EMI programs in Japan by presenting a longitudinal view of four newly implemented undergraduate EMI programs. Findings indicate that the success of an EMI program depends on how stakeholders deal with issues related to program plarming and curriculum development. Effective communication among EMI stakeholders, and between program-level and university leaders, is a key factor in planning, as is the selection, recruiting, and support of faculty members. Stakeholders also need to be aware of the program's position in the university community and how program budgeting may influence its development. The curriculum must be designed based on a realistic understanding of students' incoming language proficiency and has to include effective means to measure and support that proficiency. EMI programs should also strive for internal coherence and meaningful connections to mainstream Japanese-medium programs.

This study aimed to examine and describe the perceptions of English-medium instruction of tertiary &ndash
level students in a private university in Turkey. The scale which consists of a demographic inventory, a questionnaire, and a semi-structured interview were used by the researcher. The results of the questionnaire were analyzed through SPSS 15.0. This data gathering instrument was implemented on 233 students studying at three different faculties at Atilim University which offer English-medium instruction. In analyzing the data, descriptive statistics as frequency, percent, and standard deviation and inferential statistics such as one sample t-test and Pearson Product Moment Correlations were used. As the second scale of the present study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 students studying at three different faculties at Atilim University which offer English-medium instruction (EMI). The results of the interviews were analyzed through content analysis. The results of the study revealed that students support EMI at tertiary level and they hold positive attitudes towards EMI in terms of the improvement of language skills in English
nevertheless, they experience some difficulties in the learning of the content delivered in English. Results also showed that there is a positive relationship between students&rsquo
proficiency levels and perceptions towards EMI regarding the learning of the subject matters. Moreover, it was found that there is also a positive relationship between students&rsquo
attitudes towards EMI regarding the learning of the subject matters and their academic success.

The aim of this study was to explore representations of gender, race and sexuality in a select group of South African magazines - Men's Health, FHM, Blink, True Love, Femina and Fair Lady - between 2003 and 2005. From a feminist poststructuralist perspective, it was argued that these magazines presented particular subjectives as normative
privileging and centerig one pole within dichotomies of gender, race and sexuality.

Un dels impulsors clau dels processos d'internacionalització de les institucions d'educació superior ha estat la introducció i la ràpida implementació d'assignatures de contingut en anglès (EMI és l'acrònim en anglès). Aquesta anglicització de les matèries universitàries respon a la creença que l'anglès és l'idioma de l'acadèmia i, per tant, serveix per ampliar les oportunitats acadèmiques de professors i estudiants universitaris. No obstant això, les matèries EMI sovint són impartides per professors de contingut disciplinari que no són parlants nadius d'anglès en països on no es parla anglès. Per aquesta raó, hi ha la necessitat d'explorar i considerar com els professors experimenten EMI a causa del repte a què s'enfronten quan participen en l'ensenyament de matèries de contingut en anglès, un idioma estranger per a ells. Aquest estudi etnometodològic investiga com tres professors experimentats en les branques de ciència, tecnologia, enginyeria i matemàtiques (STEM és l’acrònim en anglès) a la Universitat de Lleida negocien la seva identitat professional a través de com es posicionen ells mateixos i com accepten o es resisteixen a posicionaments atribuïts derivats del canvi en l'idioma d'ensenyament de la seva L1 (ja sigui espanyol i/o català) a l’anglès. Aquesta tesi examina la negociació, (re)interpretació, (re)construcció i transformació de la seva identitat professional de professor EMI, centrant-se particularment en la mesura que habiten una identitat relacionada amb l'ensenyament del llenguatge, és a dir, un paper de facilitador del llenguatge disciplinari (DLF) quan es dediquen a l'ensenyament EMI. Juntament amb l'exploració de la seva identitat professional, aquest estudi també analitzarà les pràctiques docents dels professors EMI, centrant-se en com es desenvolupen aquestes pràctiques a l'aula i en quina mesura aquestes pràctiques són multilingües. En conseqüència, aquesta tesi adopta un enfocament qualitatiu i comprèn dades d'entrevistes semiestructurades amb els professors i l'observació a l'aula de les seves classes EMI. Amb un enfocament en la seva identitat, el focus està en com els professors es sobreposen a un possible posicionament de tant la seva identitat com les seves pràctiques com EMI CLILitzades, entès com el que passa quan EMI es reformula com una característica normalment atribuïda a CLIL (aprenentatge de contingut i llengua integrat). Si l'aprenentatge de l'idioma anglès es converteix en un objectiu, EMI esdevé CLILitzat, és a dir, s'adopta no només per a l'ensenyament de contingut, sinó també com un mitjà a través del qual els estudiants poden millorar el seu anglès. Els resultats de l'estudi revelen que els professors accepten i habiten en si mateixos una identitat professional de professor EMI i es resisteixen a la noció de EMI CLILitzat que emergeix del discurs d'ensenyament d'anglès (ELT) dels investigadors i, per tant, refusen el paper de DLF. Tot i que la seva identitat professional encara necessita sotmetre's a una negociació i una reconstrucció profundes per convertir-se en CLILitzada, tanmateix posicionen les assignatures EMI com CLILitzades, ja que a les entrevistes assenyalen, i en efecte realitzen pràctiques similars a l'ensenyament d’idiomes a l’aula, un paper DLF. Per tant, la seva identitat professional fluctua entre una identitat central de professor EMI i una identitat emergent, però en tant suprimida, de professor EMI CLILitzat. Aquests i altres resultats apunten a reptes educatius i lingüístics, així com a una disjuntiva entre política i pràctica. Per aquesta raó, argumento que una política d'ensenyament EMI – ja sigui CLILitzada o no – ha de ser abordada i desenvolupada més clarament pels administradors universitaris i els mateixos professors EMI, una política oficial d’EMI que proporcioni als professors una guia pedagògica i lingüística per poder exercir amb confiança EMI i així seguir reformulant la seva identitat professional.
Uno de los impulsores clave de los procesos de internacionalización de las instituciones de educación superior ha sido la introducción y la rápida implementación de asignaturas de contenido en inglés (EMI, el acrónimo en inglés). Esta inglesización de las materias universitarias responde a la creencia de que el inglés es el idioma de la academia y, por lo tanto, sirve para ampliar las oportunidades académicas de profesores y estudiantes universitarios. Sin embargo, las materias EMI a menudo son impartidas por profesores de contenido disciplinario que no son hablantes nativos de inglés en países donde no se habla inglés. Por esta razón, existe la necesidad de explorar y considerar cómo los profesores experimentan EMI debido al desafío al que se enfrentan cuando participan en la enseñanza de materias de contenido en inglés, un idioma extranjero para ellos. Este estudio etnometodológico investiga cómo tres profesores experimentados de la ramas de ciencia, tecnología, ingeniería y matemáticas (STEM, el acrónomino en inglés) en la Universidad de Lleida negocian su identidad profesional a través de cómo se auto posicionan y como aceptan o resisten otros posicionamientos atribuidos por otros que derivan del cambio en el idioma de enseñanza de su L1 (ya sea español y/o catalán) al inglés. Esta tesis examina la negociación, (re)interpretación, (re)construcción y transformación de su identidad profesional de profesor EMI, centrándose particularmente en la medida en que habitan una identidad relacionada con la enseñanza del lenguaje, es decir, un rol de facilitador del lenguaje disciplinario (DLF) cuando se dedican a la enseñanza EMI. Junto con la exploración de su identidad profesional, este estudio también analizará las prácticas docentes de los profesores EMI, centrándose en cómo se desarrollan estas prácticas en el aula y en qué medida estas prácticas son multilingües. En consecuencia, esta tesis adopta un enfoque cualitativo y comprende datos de entrevistas semiestructuradas con los profesores y la observación en el aula de las sus clases EMI. Con un enfoque en su identidad, el foco está en cómo los profesores lidian con un posible posicionamiento de tanto su identidad como sus prácticas como EMI CLILizadas, entendido como lo que sucede cuando EMI se reformula como una característica normalmente atribuida a CLIL (aprendizaje de contenido y lengua integrado). Si el aprendizaje del idioma inglés se convierte en un objetivo, EMI se CLILiza, es decir, se adopta no solo para la enseñanza de contenido, sino también como un medio a través del cual los estudiantes pueden mejorar su inglés. Los resultados del estudio revelan que los profesores aceptan y habitan en sí mismos una identidad profesional de profesor EMI y se resisten a la noción de EMI CLILizado que emerge del discurso de enseñanza del inglés (ELT) de los investigadores, y por lo tanto rehúsan el papel de DLF. Si bien su identidad profesional aún necesita someterse a una profunda negociación y reconstrucción para convertirse en profesores de EMI CLILizado, sí que posicionan las asignaturas EMI como EMI CLILizadas, ya que realizan prácticas similares a la enseñanza de idiomas en clase adoptando un rol DLF. Por lo tanto, su identidad profesional fluctúa entre una identidad central de profesor EMI y una identidad emergente y en tanto suprimida de profesor EMI CLILizado. Estos y otros resultados apuntan a desafíos educativos y lingüísticos, así como a una disyuntiva entre política y práctica. Por esta razón, argumento que una política de enseñanza EMI – ya sea CLILizado o no – debe ser abordada y desarrollada más claramente por los administradores universitarios y los propio profesores EMI, una política oficial de EMI que proporcione a los profesores una guía pedagógica y lingüística para poder desempeñar con confianza EMI y así seguir reformulando su identidad profesional.
One of the key drivers of the internationalisation processes of higher education institutions has been the introduction and rapid implementation of English-medium instruction (EMI) subjects. This Englishisation of university subjects responds to the belief that English is the language for academia and so it serves to broaden the academic opportunities for university stakeholders, especially lecturers and students. Nevertheless, EMI subjects are often taught by disciplinary content lecturers who are non-native English speakers in non-English speaking countries. For this reason, there is a need to explore and consider how lecturers experience EMI due to the challenges that they may confront when engaged in teaching subject matter in English, a foreign language. This ethnomethdological study investigates how three experienced STEM lecturers at the University of Lleida negotiate their professional identity through their self-inhabited positionings and how they accept or resist other-ascribed positionings that come with the language instruction shift from their L1 (either Spanish and/or Catalan) to English. It examines the negotiation, (re)interpretation, (re)construction and transformation of their EMI lecturer professional identities, focussing particularly on the extent to which they inhabit a language-related identity, that is to say a disciplinary-language facilitator (DLF) role, when engaged in EMI teaching. Alongside the exploration of professional identity, this study will also analyse EMI lecturers’ teaching practices, focusing on how these practices unfold in the classroom and to what extent EMI lecturer’ practices are multilingual. Accordingly, this thesis adopts a qualitative approach and comprises data from semi-structured interviews with the lecturers and classroom observation of their EMI classes. With a focus on their identity, this study specifically focusses on how lecturers grapple with the prospect of positioning themselves and their practices as CLILised EMI, understood as what happens when EMI is reframed as sharing key characteristic with Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) – language teaching. If English language learning becomes a goal, EMI may be CLILised, that is, it is adopted not only for content delivery, but also as a means through which students might improve their English. The results of the study reveal the lecturers accept and self-inhabit an EMI lecturer professional identity and resist the notion of CLILised EMI, which emerges from the researchers’ English-language teaching (ELT) discourses, and so they somehow diminish the DLF role. Although their professional identity still needs to undergo a profound negotiation and re-construction to actually become CLILised, they do position EMI as CLILised as they both report in the interviews, and actually perform in class language-teaching-like practices, a DLF role. Therefore, their professional identity fluctuates between the core EMI lecturer identity and the emerging, but somehow suppressed, CLILised EMI lecturer identity. These and other findings point to instructional and linguistic challenges as well as a disjuncture between policy and practice. For this reason, I argue that a clearer EMI policy – either CLILised or non-CLILised – needs to be developed by university administrators and EMI lecturers themselves, an EMI official policy that provides lecturers with a pedagogical and linguistic guide to perform confidently in EMI and further re-shape their professional identity.

This thesis analyses undergraduate learners' pragmatic development. The participants of the study were enrolled in English-medium instruction atlhree different Spanish universities. Pragmatic development is operationalised as "functional adequacy" (FA), which is a recent construct developed by Kuiken and Vedder (2016) to approach pragmatic competence. Moreover, the effect of English proficiency and previous language learning experiences on learners' FA is explored. Quantitative and qualitative results are taken ¡nto consideration in order to observe and further understand what happens in the EMI contexts under analysis.
Esta tesis doctoral analiza el desarrollo pragmático de estudiantes universitarios matriculados en contextos de instrucción en inglés (English-medium instruction). La competencia pragmática escrita se enmarca en la vertiente de "adecuación funcional" propuesta por los investigadores Kuiken y Vedder (2016). Por otra parte, también se analiza el efecto que tiene el nivel de inglés y las estancias con fines educativos realizadas previamente en el grado de "adecuación" de los textos escritos. Los resultados se analizan de manera cuantitativa y cualitativa para tener una perspectiva más amplia de lo que sucede en las aulas EMI de nuestras universidades.

Throughout modern history, language has been a contentious issue in Sri Lanka, implicated - sometimes explicitly and always implicitly - in the many violent uprisings and bloody ethnic conflict that has characterized the country for the past three decades. Official language policies, education policies as well as language-in-education policies have been instrumental in creating and exacerbating the conflicts which exist between and within the two major communities, and between the class divide during both colonial and postcolonial times. After independence, successive governments made attempts to address the issue of language and its divisive role in an attempt to rectify inequality and provide a more democratic social system, often with questionable success. The context of this study is the most recent of such attempts to address the issue of language and equality with regard to educational opportunity; the ''New Educational Reforms and New Initiatives in Education" which deal with the re-introduction of English medium instruction (EMI) in state owned schools at junior secondary level (Grade 6) in 2001, for selected subjects, including Science, Social Studies and Mathematics; a reform implemented despite the acute shortage of teachers proficient in English, as well as adequately trained to teach in the English medium. It uses ethnographic case study methodology to investigate classroom practice in these EMI science classes in four schools in the Western and North western Provinces. The theoretical assumptions underlying the study are participatory frameworks of Second Language Acquisition, (SLA) including neo- Vygotskyan sociocultural theories of SLA and language socialization. Data sources include classroom observation field notes, transcripts of audio-recorded lessons and in-depth interviews with teachers. Though viewed from a particular perspective of language learning, the data analysis focused on patterns emerging from the data, relating to how participants put into practice, EMI policy in the classroom. The results show considerable discrepancy between policy and practice, a variation of policy implementation across school types and that the use of mother tongue is a strategy to overcome challenges of EMI where proficiency is an issue for both student as well as teachers. Codeswitching (CS) and Mixed Code used in the classroom are also reflective of the widely used language outside the classroom. The study concludes that there is a need for acknowledgement of classroom realities, including cultural context and resources when implementing policy aims, extensive teacher training both initial and in-service, and argues for the acceptance of CS as a more pragmatic approach to encouraging the learning of both content and language.

This research is a case study on the lived experience of international graduate students in the Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies (GSAPS) at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. Using cultural globalization and internationalization as a lens, this research positions international graduate students as local actors in an abroad community and addresses, 1) how and why students decided on an English Medium degree in Japan, and 2) the lived academic and social experiences of this particular group of students while in Japan. In-depth interviews with 17 degree seeking international graduate students explore graduate students’ past educational and professional experiences and the purpose of seeking an advanced degree abroad. Graduate students also discussed the types of academic and social sodalities they chose to engage in while in Japan and the other actors involved (or not involved) in these communities. Through inductive analysis, conclusions were drawn on how these actors constructed their social and academic lives amidst the influences of internationalization and cultural globalization.

Even though English is the second language of the majority of South African learners, this language is still the preferred medium of instruction. The purpose of the study was to analyse the present situation regarding the teaching of language skills in some second language medium of instruction (L2MI) content classrooms and to determine content teachers' willingness and ability to incorporate language teaching into their content teaching. The study furthermore aimed to establish whether South African content teachers require a specific training programme for teaching through medium of English and to compile a profile of the effective L2MI teacher reflecting the language, methodological and presentational skills that such a teacher uses. By establishing the nature and level of the language proficiency required for effective L2MI, this study proposes a model for a course for improving the language proficiency of L2MI teacher-trainees and, finally, an integrated training course for L2MI teacher-trainees based on the profile of an effective L2MI teacher. A description of the implemented course, together with a review by both the students and the instructor, is also provided. A survey of the relevant literature, as well as qualitative and quantitative research methods, was used in this study that consists of 4 articles. Different research methods and instruments were used in each of the articles. Article 1 supplies an analysis of the L2MI situation in some subject content classrooms in South Africa and Namibia. The article shows that, despite acknowledging responsibility for teaching language skills, the majority of these teachers failed to perform language-teaching duties in the content classroom. The reasons for these teachers' inability are ascribed to a number of reasons, including a lack of appropriate training programmes for L2MI teachers. Article 2 supplies answers to the question relating to the characteristics of the L2MI teacher. The research conducted in this article combines information from all the relevant fields of English medium of instruction in order to introduce a profile of the effective L2MI teacher. This profile allows teacher trainers and course designers to develop training programmes that will deliver a supply of teachers meeting the target of the ideal teacher. v Article 3 focuses on the competences necessary for effective communication through medium of Classroom English, the related knowledge and skills, as well as the situations and domains of communication (i.e. teaching activities). A hybrid model for course design, developed from a combination of the Outcomes-Based and Backward Design models for course design, is used to provide an outline for a language development course for teachers who are second language speakers of English. Article 4 describes a training course for L2MI subject content teacher-trainees that will enable the trainee to develop knowledge and skills in all the aspects required for effective L2MI. The integrated L2MI course suggested for teacher training in Article 4 is based on the model for course design proposed in Article 3. It uses the information from previous articles relating to the profile of the effective L2MI teacher, and the nature of the language proficiency required by the teacher who is a second language teacher of English to propose Critical and Learning Outcomes, Evidence of Performance, and Assessment Standards. This article then describes the implementation and review of the integrated course. The outline of the course, the example of the Instructional Plan used for this course, as well as the exemplary lesson plan provided, can enable future course designers to adapt and develop similar courses, streamlined for the specific needs of their students. A checklist for planning an L2MI lesson and an observation sheet for effective L2MI developed for this course provides students with a strategy, or tool, for taking cognisance of, and giving consideration to, the required skills and strategies when planning a subject content lesson.
Thesis (Ph.D. (English))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD
In this thesis, I explore representations of gender, race and sexuality in a select group of South African magazines - Men's Health, FHM, Blink, True Love, Femina and Fair Lady - between 2003 and 2005. From a feminist poststructuralist perspective, I argue that these magazines present particular subjectivities as normative; privileging and centering one pole within dichotomies of gender, race and sexuality. The exploration considers ideas of social responsibility in the discourses of magazine editors, and how these are linked to subjective representations of gender, race and sexuality. I focus on the magazines' presentations of racialised heteromasculinities, and its connections to presentations of women as particular kinds of sex objects. I explore the hyper(hetero)sexual presentation of black and white femininities in women's magazines, attempting to illustrate how these presentations translate into efforts to remain or become heterosexually desirable to an unnamed and unmarked, but clearly masculine audience.