The provision of student support on English Medium Instruction programmes in Japan and China

In non-Anglophone contexts, the internationalisation of higher education is increasingly becoming synonymous with the transition towards English Medium Instruction (EMI). Recent years have witnessed exponential growth in contexts such as East Asia, where EMI provision is increasingly being used to determine funding, university rankings and also fast becoming an important factor in faculty recruitment decisions. There are many perceived benefits of EMI, particularly content knowledge and improved academic English proficiency. However, curriculum innovation is a complex process and without research into the implementation of EMI in different contexts, it is difficult to assess, much less guarantee, whether the goals can be met. Using questionnaire, interview and focus group data from a larger study in Japan and China (Galloway, Kruikow & Numajiri, 2017), this study explored language and academic skills support provision, and attitudes towards it, in depth. The study was also supplemented with data from international students and provides insights into how students are supported in different EMI programmes, as well as staff and students’ perceptions on the role of such support. This includes whether it should be the responsibility of content instructors or language specialists, and the extent to which content staff should be responsible for helping students with academic English

Local thoughts on global ideas:Pre- and in-service TESOL practitioners’ attitudes to the pedagogical implications of the globalization of English

With the globalization of the English language, Global Englishes (GE) is a growing research paradigm with numerous pedagogical implications for those learning and teaching English. The study reported here provides insights on pre- and in-service Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) practitioners’ perceptions of Global Englishes Language Teaching (GELT) (Galloway & Rose, 2015; Rose & Galloway, 2019), which aims to make TESOL classrooms more reflective of learners’ needs in today’s globalized world, where multilingualism is the norm and English functions as a lingua franca. Interviews (n=5) with those taking a GE course on an MSc TESOL programme at a Russell Group university in the UK were triangulated with a survey among the wider programme (n=66). The study reveals that curriculum innovation is complex, particularly when it requires a conceptual transition, and practitioners need time and support to implement change. Furthermore, it was clarified that GE has made little headway into ‘traditional’ TESOL classrooms, which remains biased towards ‘native’ English norms

“I just wanted to learn Japanese and visit Japan”: The incentives and attitudes of international students in English-Medium Instruction programmes in Japan.

With growth in English-Medium of Instruction (EMI) in higher education, there have been increasing calls for research on this expansion, particularly the challenges facing students. Despite the growth in international students and ambitious target recruitment numbers in places like Japan, much of the EMI research to date focuses on home students. This article reports on a study with international students enrolled on EMI programmes in six Japanese universities. Data was collected using open-ended questionnaires (n=102), interviews (n=10) at four of the six universities, and 3 focus groups (Japanese and international students) at three of the six universities. Results show that unlike home students, international student enrollment in EMI programmes is not linked to goals to improve English proficiency; many are simply interested in Japan or learning Japanese. While students recognized the benefits of EMI, they discussed numerous challenges, particularly language-related issues in classrooms where they study with students of varying levels of English proficiency. This study provides key insights into EMI policy implementation and the needs of an important group of stakeholders who have long been high on the government’s internationalization agenda in Japan

Global Englishes and language teaching: a review of pedagogical research

The rise of English as a global language has led scholars to call for a paradigm shift in the field of English language teaching to match the new sociolinguistic landscape of the 21st century. In recent years a considerable amount of classroom-based research and language teacher education research has emerged to investigate these proposals in practice. This paper outlines key proposals for change in language teaching from the related fields of World Englishes, English as a lingua franca, English as an International Language, and Global Englishes, and critically reviews the growing body of pedagogical research conducted within these domains. Adopting the methodology of a systematic review, 58 empirical articles published between 2010-2020 were short-listed, of which 38 were given an in-depth critical review and contextualized within a wider body of literature. Synthesis of classroom research suggests a current lack of longitudinal designs, an underuse of direct measures to explore the effects of classroom interventions, and under-representation of contexts outside of university language classrooms. Synthesis of teacher education research suggests future studies need to adopt more robust methodological designs which measure the effects of Global Englishes content on teacher beliefs and pedagogical practices both before and throughout the program, and after teachers return to the classroom

The ‘internationalisation’, or ‘Englishisation’, of higher education in East Asia

In recent years, one of the most significant trends in higher education in non-anglophone countries has been the growth in English Medium Instruction (EMI). However, provision is rapidly outpacing empirical research. This study examined how macro-level education policy with regard to EMI is both implemented and conceptualised at the institutional and classroom level in Chinese and Japanese universities. Utilising questionnaires with home students (n = 579) and staff (n = 28), interviews with home students (n = 29) and staff (n = 28) and four focus groups with staff and four with home students, in addition to questionnaires (n = 123), interviews (n = 10) and three focus groups with international students, the study provides insights into how EMI policy is operationalised, including types of programmes and language use, and how it is conceptualised by different stakeholders. The results highlight contextual constraints to policy implementation, calling for the need for more research into this growing trend and curriculum evaluation to inform context-sensitive ways to implement EMI policy. It also calls for a critical examination of monolingual EMI policies and academic norms amidst growing multilingualism in the EMI classroom as well as clear goals and objectives due to varying conceptualisations of the purposes of EMI amongst staff and students

“I get paid for my American accent”: the story of one Multilingual English Teacher (MET) in Japan

No abstract available

A Critical Analysis of the Jet Programme

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Does parent stress predict the quality of life of children with a diagnosis of ADHD?:A comparison of parent and child perspectives

Objective: There are indicators that parental psychological factors may affect how parents evaluate their child’s quality of life (QoL) when the child has a health condition. This study examined the impact of parents’ perceived stress on parent and child ratings of the QoL of children with ADHD. Method: A cross-sectional sample of 45 matched parent–child dyads completed parallel versions of the KIDSCREEN-27. Children were 8 to 14 years with clinician diagnosed ADHD. Results: Parents who rated their child’s QoL lower than their child had higher perceived stress scores. Parent stress was a unique predictor of child QoL from parent proxy-rated but not child-rated QoL scores. Conclusion: Parents’ perceived stress may play an important role in their assessments of their child’s QoL, suggesting both parent and child perspectives of QoL should be utilized wherever possible. Interventions that target parent stress may contribute to improvements in the child’s QoL. </jats:p

“They envision going to New York, not Jakarta”: the differing attitudes toward ELF of students, teaching assistants, and instructors in an English-medium business program in Japan

This study examines attitudes in a bilingual business degree program at a Japanese university, where visiting senior and postgraduate international students are hired to assist sophomore students in the classroom. The visiting international students’ role is to not only help students understand business concepts in the course, but to provide opportunity for real life English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) use as well as exposure to the English used by people from varied backgrounds. The study uses a mixed method of questionnaires with 120 students within the program, a focus group with the assistants, and a focus group with the course instructors. The study found that both the students and student assistants had largely positive attitudes to this classroom experience—both in terms of exposure to the diversity of English and the opportunity to use ELF. Furthermore, the study revealed students were acutely aware of their probable future usage of English in lingua franca settings—despite teachers’ assumptions that the students would adhere to traditional native English speaker stereotypes, which are often promoted in Japanese language education