Success in English Medium Instruction in China: significant indicators and implications

ABSTRACT

This article reports a mixed-methods study that investigates academic success in English Medium Instruction (EMI) at a Chinese state university. Questionnaire, exam score (n = 100), and semi-structured interview data (n = 29) was collected from second-year undergraduate students majoring in Business Management. Content-related language proficiency, perceived success, and motivation were explored as possible significant predictors of academic success in EMI. Business English proficiency was a statistically significant predictor, highlighting that students with a lower level of proficiency need supplementary linguistic support in order to fully succeed in their EMI studies. Language learning motivation did not predict academic success, echoing previous findings (Rose, H., S. Curle, I. Aizawa, and G. Thompson. 2019. “What drives success in English medium taught courses?” The interplay between language proficiency, academic skills, and motivation. Studies in Higher Education 0 (0): 1–13. doi:10.1080/03075079.2019.1590690). Perceived success in EMI did predict actual success in EMI, highlighting the need to enhance students’ perceptions of their own ability to succeed in EMI. Qualitative data revealed that students’ perceptions of success in EMI centred around content knowledge acquisition, improved English proficiency, knowledge application and transformation, and forming new modes of thinking. Practical implications for pedagogy are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• English medium instruction (EMI)
• Business English proficiency
• Motivation
• Perceptions of Success in EMI
• English for Specific Purposes (ESP)

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Wanying Xie

Wanying Xie is an English language teacher in China. Her research interests lie in the growing use of English Medium Instruction in Chinese universities.

Samantha Curle

Samantha Curle is an Assistant Professor in applied linguistics in the Department of Education at The University of Bath. Her EMI-related research has recently appeared in journals such as Language Teaching and Studies in Higher Education.