The impact of Chinese EMI lecturers’ bilingual repertoire on their classroom interaction

Abstract

The research conducted in this study examines the development of English Medium Instruction (EMI) research over the past two decades, shifting its focus from problem identification to pedagogy. The literature review explores the challenges faced in EMI programs, such as teachers' language proficiency, transmission-oriented teaching methods, lack of pedagogical training, and the shortage of interaction in EMI classrooms. It also presents recent studies on questioning, translanguaging and teacher identity in EMI programs which closely relate to classroom interaction. This study specifically investigates the mode of interaction in Chinese EMI classes and explores how lecturers' bilingual abilities affect their teaching practices. Utilizing a qualitative case study approach, the research concentrates on EMI lecturers and their classes at a Chinese university. The data collection methods include classroom observations, semistructured interviews, and stimulated recall to capture classroom discourse, interpret data from the participants' perspectives, and clarify the observation data. Students' performance is also observed to examine lecturers' interactive strategies and their effectiveness. This research makes a valuable contribution to the current body of literature by demonstrating that lecturers' English proficiency is not the primary determinant of their pedagogical approach in EMI classrooms. It provides pedagogical guidance for fostering effective interaction in EMI classes. The study's implications include methodological considerations, theoretical contributions regarding dialogic pedagogy and translanguaging, and pedagogical recommendations for enhancing classroom interaction in EMI settings.

Date of Award	2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Western Sydney University
Supervisor	Jinghe Han (Supervisor)