https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0783-3083
![Sample our Language & Literature journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5941/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Language-Literature.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
This paper explores how three Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) lecturers working in English-medium instruction (EMI) grapple with the prospect of self-positioning as English-language-teachers (ELTs), drawing on interviews in which they explicitly deny acting in this way. It begins with essential background, first discussing key concepts such as EMI, internationalization, Englishization in higher education and ‘CLIL-ised EMI’, the latter understood as what happens when EMI is reframed as sharing key characteristic with Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) – language teaching. The paper then outlines the main focus – the notion that STEM specialist EMI lecturers might, on occasion, act as ELTs – examining selected findings from previous research exploring this topic. This discussion is followed by further background information about the context and the methodological framework adopted here, a revised version of Positioning Theory. These preliminaries aside, the paper presents a series of excerpts from interviews with informants, which then serve to construct a narrative about EMI lecturers as ELTs. In the face of informants’ resistance to this identity, the paper ends with some thoughts on what has been learned, both in this context and further afield.
Acknowledgements
We wish to thank John Gray, Sarah Khan, Guzman Mancho and two anonymous reviewers for their extremely helpful comments on earlier drafts of this paper. We also wish to thank the editorial team of International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism for their efficiency and expediency in dealing with the submission.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes
1 In this paper, we aim to answer these questions by focussing exclusively on interviews. We are currently working on accounts of how lecturers in our research self-positioned in classroom interactions.
2 The data discussed in this paper are from the project entitled Towards an empirical assessment of the impact of English medium instruction at university: language learning, disciplinary knowledge and academic identities (ASSEMID). The project was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (El Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad – MINECO), code FFI2016-76383-P. 30 December 2016–29 December 2019.
3 Specifically, we draw on interviews with Jaime, taking place 7 March 2017 and 29 June 2018; with Raquel, taking place 16 February 2017 and 12 July 2018; and with Isabel, taking place 28 June 2018.
4 For reasons of space, we present only the English translations of interview excerpts. Interviews were conducted in Catalan (for informants Carles, Raquel and Isabel) and Spanish (for Jaime). Translations were carried out by the authors, both of whom are fully proficient in English, Catalan and Spanish. All interview excerpts have been transcribed using the following conventions:
5 Isabel also mentioned that her class was optional and that she was afraid that if she pushed students with regard to their use of English, or penalized them in some way for not producing appropriate or correct language, they would simply choose to do a different course.
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
David Block
David Block is ICREA Research Professor in Sociolinguistics at the Universitat de Lleida. He has published on a wide range of language and society issues.
Balbina Moncada-Comas
Balbina Moncada-Comas is a doctoral student in English-medium Instruction (EMI) in the English and Linguistics Department at the University of Lleida and has three years of experience teaching to higher education students.
