1887
Volume 3, Issue 2
  • ISSN 2666-8882
  • E-ISSN: 2666-8890

Abstract

Abstract

English-medium instruction (EMI) potentially offers pedagogical efficiency by simultaneously providing access to academic content and English affordances. EMI’s efficacy and effectiveness, however, remain unproven with questions concerning students’ language proficiency unresolved. As listening to lectures holds a central role in tertiary education and the development of language skills is founded on second-language listening ability, key concerns for stakeholders are knowing how much of an EMI lecture students can understand and what factors impact their lecture listening comprehension. Current methodologies used to capture listening comprehension data, such as tests, surveys, summaries, and transcript markings do not capture the idiosyncratic, volatile, and multifaceted reactions to aural text phenomena that learners encounter during a lecture. This study, therefore, uses an innovative foot switch mechanism to capture comprehension data in real time as students participated in an EMI lecture. These data were then used to guide a stimulated recall. The data showed learners failing to comprehend extensive sections of the lecture while deeper analysis identified sections of the lecture where issues concerning prior taught knowledge, top-down schema building, lexical, and bottom-up identification of sounds coincided for multiple learners. Extrapolating from these points of convergence, pedagogical recommendations are provided.

Available under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license.
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/jemi.23001.duc
2024-05-17
2025-02-17
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/jemi.23001.duc.html?itemId=/content/journals/10.1075/jemi.23001.duc&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Aguilar, M., & Muñoz, C.
    (2014) The effect of proficiency on CLIL benefits in engineering students in Spain. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 24(1), 1–18. 10.1111/ijal.12006
    https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.12006 [Google Scholar]
  2. Ali, H. I. H.
    (2020) Lecture comprehension difficulties experienced by Omani students in an English-medium engineering programme. Cogent Arts & Humanities71, 1–17. 10.1080/23311983.2020.1741986
    https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2020.1741986 [Google Scholar]
  3. Anderson, J. R.
    (2005) Cognitive psychology and its implications. Macmillan.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Badger, R., White, G., Sutherland, P., & Haggis, T.
    (2001) Note perfect: An investigation of how students view taking notes in lectures. System, 291, 405–417. 10.1016/S0346‑251X(01)00028‑8
    https://doi.org/10.1016/S0346-251X(01)00028-8 [Google Scholar]
  5. Bligh, D.
    (2000) What’s the use of lectures?Jossey-Bass.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. de Bot, K., Lowie, W., & Verspoor, M.
    (2007) A dynamic systems theory approach to second language acquisition. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 101, 7–21. 10.1017/S1366728906002732
    https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728906002732 [Google Scholar]
  7. Bradford, A.
    (2019) It’s not all about English! The problem of language foregrounding in English-medium programmes in Japan. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 40(8), 707–720. 10.1080/01434632.2018.1551402
    https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2018.1551402 [Google Scholar]
  8. Candlin, C., & Hadfield, J.
    (2013) Preface. InM. Rost & J. J. Wilson (Eds.), Active listening (pp. xi–xii). Pearson.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Chang, Y.
    (2010) English-medium instruction for subject courses in tertiary education: Reactions from Taiwanese undergraduate students. Taiwan International ESP Journal, 2(1), 55–84.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Chapple, J.
    (2015) Teaching in English is not necessarily the teaching of English. International Education Studies, 81, 1–13. 10.5539/ies.v8n3p1
    https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v8n3p1 [Google Scholar]
  11. Cheng, W., Greaves, C., & Warren, M.
    (2005) The creation of a prosodically transcribed intercultural corpus: The Hong Kong corpus of spoken English (prosodic). ICAME Journals: Computers in Linguistics, 291, 47–68.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Coleman, J. A.
    (2006) English-medium teaching in European higher education. Language Teaching, 391, 1–14. 10.1017/S026144480600320X
    https://doi.org/10.1017/S026144480600320X [Google Scholar]
  13. Collins, A. B.
    (2010) English-medium higher education: Dilemma and problems. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 391, 97–110.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Crawford Camiciottoli, B., & Querol-Julián, M.
    (2016) Lectures. InK. Hyland & P. Shaw (Eds). The Routledge handbook of English for academic purposes. Routledge.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Cutler, A.
    (2012) Native Listening. MIT Press. 10.7551/mitpress/9012.001.0001
    https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/9012.001.0001 [Google Scholar]
  16. Dearden, J.
    (2014) English as a medium of instruction: A growing global phenomenon. The British Council. https://www.britishcouncil.es/sites/default/files/british_council_english_as_a_medium_of_instruction.pdf
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Dien, J., Michaelson, C., and Franklin, M.
    (2010) Separating the visual sentence N400 effect from the P400 sequential expectancy effect: cognitive and neuroanatomical implications. Brain Research, 13551, 126–140. 10.1016/j.brainres.2010.07.099
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2010.07.099 [Google Scholar]
  18. Ducker, N. T.
    (2022) A situated examination of the complex dynamic nature of L2 listening in EMI. Language Teaching Research. Advance online publication. 10.1177/13621688221124439
    https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688221124439 [Google Scholar]
  19. East, M., & King, C.
    (2012) L2 learners’ engagement with high stakes listening tests: Does technology have a beneficial role to play?CALICO Journal, 29(2), 208–223. 10.11139/cj.29.2.208‑223
    https://doi.org/10.11139/cj.29.2.208-223 [Google Scholar]
  20. English First
    English First (2023) The world’s largest ranking of countries and regions by English skills. https://www.ef.com/wwen/epi/
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Ericsson, K., & Simon, H.
    (1993) Protocol analysis: Verbal reports as data (2nd ed.). MIT Press. 10.7551/mitpress/5657.001.0001
    https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/5657.001.0001 [Google Scholar]
  22. Fujita, R.
    (2017) Effects of speech rate and background noise on EFL learners’ listening comprehension of different types of materials. Journal of Asia TEFL, 14(4), 638–653. 10.18823/asiatefl.2017.14.4.4.638
    https://doi.org/10.18823/asiatefl.2017.14.4.4.638 [Google Scholar]
  23. Gallien, C., Hotho, S., & Staines, H.
    (2000) The impact of input modifications on listening comprehension: A study of learner perceptions. JALT Journal, 221, 271–295. 10.37546/JALTJJ22.2‑3
    https://doi.org/10.37546/JALTJJ22.2-3 [Google Scholar]
  24. Galloway, N., Kriukow, J., & Numajiri, T.
    (2017) Internationalisation, higher education and the growing demand for English: An investigation into the English medium of instruction (EMI) movement in China and Japan. The British Council. https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/H035%20ELTRA%20Internationalisation_HE_and%20the%20growing%20demand%20for%20English%20A4_FINAL_WEB.pdf
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Galloway, N. & Ruegg, R.
    (2020) The provision of student support on English medium instruction programmes in Japan and China. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 451, Article 100846. 10.1016/j.jeap.2020.100846
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2020.100846 [Google Scholar]
  26. Hsu, W.
    (2011) The vocabulary thresholds of business textbooks and business research articles for EFL learners. English for Specific Purposes, 30(4), 247–257. 10.1016/j.esp.2011.04.005
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2011.04.005 [Google Scholar]
  27. Hua, T. L.
    (2020) Understanding the learning challenges of English-medium instruction learners and ways to facilitate their learning: A case study of Taiwan psychology students’ perspectives. Latin American Journal of Content & Language Integrated Learning, 12(2), 321–340. 10.5294/laclil.2019.12.2.6
    https://doi.org/10.5294/laclil.2019.12.2.6 [Google Scholar]
  28. Huang, Y. P.
    (2018) Learner resistance to English-medium instruction practices: A qualitative case study. Teaching in Higher Education, 23(4), 435–449. 10.1080/13562517.2017.1421629
    https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2017.1421629 [Google Scholar]
  29. Kamaşak, R., Sahan, K., & Rose, H.
    (2021) Academic language-related challenges at an English-medium university. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 491, Article 100945. 10.1016/j.jeap.2020.100945
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2020.100945 [Google Scholar]
  30. Kang, S. H. K.
    (2016) Spaced repetition promotes efficient and effective learning: Policy implications for instruction. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 3(1), 12–19. 10.1177/2372732215624708
    https://doi.org/10.1177/2372732215624708 [Google Scholar]
  31. Kiewra, K. A.
    (1989) A review of note-taking: The encoding-storage paradigm and beyond. Educational Psychology Review, 1(2), 147–172. 10.1007/BF01326640
    https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01326640 [Google Scholar]
  32. Kırkgöz, Y.
    (2009) Students’ and lecturers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of foreign language instruction in an English-medium university in Turkey. Teaching in Higher Education, 14(1), 81–93. 10.1080/13562510802602640
    https://doi.org/10.1080/13562510802602640 [Google Scholar]
  33. Kuteeva, M., & Airey, J.
    (2014) Disciplinary differences in the use of English in higher education: Reflections on recent language policy developments. Higher Education, 6(5), 533–549. 10.1007/s10734‑013‑9660‑6
    https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-013-9660-6 [Google Scholar]
  34. Larsen-Freeman, D., & Cameron, L.
    (2008) Complex systems and applied linguistics. Oxford University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  35. Lee, J. J.
    (2009) Size matters: An exploratory comparison of small- and large-class university lecture introductions. English for Specific Purposes, 28(1), 42–57. 10.1016/j.esp.2008.11.001
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2008.11.001 [Google Scholar]
  36. Lei, J., & Hu, G.
    (2014) Is English-medium instruction effective in improving Chinese undergraduate students’ English competence?International Review of Applied Linguistics, 52(2), 99–126. 10.1515/iral‑2014‑0005
    https://doi.org/10.1515/iral-2014-0005 [Google Scholar]
  37. Li, Q., Zhang, L., & Goh, C. M.
    (2022) Metacognitive instruction in second language listening: Does language proficiency matter?English As a Foreign Language International Journal, 2(5), 27–55. 10.56498/3922652022
    https://doi.org/10.56498/3922652022 [Google Scholar]
  38. Littlemore, J.
    (2001) The use of metaphor in university lectures and the problems that it causes for overseas students. Teaching in Higher Education, 61, 333–349. 10.1080/13562510120061205
    https://doi.org/10.1080/13562510120061205 [Google Scholar]
  39. Long, R.
    (2019) Comparing authentic and scripted language listening comprehension in university-level EFL learners. The Language Teacher, 43(3), 9–14. 10.37546/JALTTLT43.3‑2
    https://doi.org/10.37546/JALTTLT43.3-2 [Google Scholar]
  40. Lowie, W., & Verspoor, M. H.
    (2018) Individual differences and the ergodicity problem. Language Learning, 691, 184–206. 10.1111/lang.12324
    https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12324 [Google Scholar]
  41. Macaro, E., Curle, S., Pun, J., An, J., & Dearden, J.
    (2018) A systematic review of English medium instruction in higher education. Language Teaching, 511, 36–76. 10.1017/S0261444817000350
    https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444817000350 [Google Scholar]
  42. Macaro, E., Tian, L., & Chu, L.
    (2020) First and second language use in English medium instruction contexts. Language Teaching Research, 24(3), 382–402. 10.1177/1362168818783231
    https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168818783231 [Google Scholar]
  43. Martín del Pozo, M. A.
    (2017) Training teachers for English medium instruction: Lessons from research on second language listening comprehension. Revista de Lingüística y Lenguas Aplicadas, 121, 55–63. 10.4995/rlyla.2017.6986
    https://doi.org/10.4995/rlyla.2017.6986 [Google Scholar]
  44. Masrai, A., El-Dakhs, D. A. S., & Yahya, N.
    (2022) What predicts academic achievement in EMI courses? Focus on vocabulary knowledge and self-perceptions of L2 skills. SAGE Open, 12(2). 10.1177/21582440221101044
    https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221101044 [Google Scholar]
  45. Mendelssohn, D.
    (1998) Teaching listening. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 181, 81–101. 10.1017/S0267190500003494
    https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190500003494 [Google Scholar]
  46. Miller, L.
    (2002) Towards a model for lecturing in a second language. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 1(2), 145–162. 10.1016/S1475‑1585(02)00017‑6
    https://doi.org/10.1016/S1475-1585(02)00017-6 [Google Scholar]
  47. Monaghan, P., & Christiansen, M.
    (2010) Words in puddles of sound: Modelling psycholinguistic effects in speech segmentation. Journal of Child Language, 371, 545–564. 10.1017/S0305000909990511
    https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000909990511 [Google Scholar]
  48. Murata, K.
    (2018) Exploring EMI in higher education from an ELF perspective. InK. Murata (Ed.), English-medium instruction from an English as a lingua franca perspective (pp. 1–11). Routledge. 10.4324/9781351184335‑1
    https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351184335-1 [Google Scholar]
  49. Parini, J.
    (2004) The well-tempered lecturer. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 501. Retrieved fromhttps://chronicle.com/article/The-Well-Tempered-Lecturer/7998/
    [Google Scholar]
  50. Pavlik, Jr. & Anderson, J. R.
    (2008) Using a model to compute the optimal schedule of practice. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 14(2), 101–117. 10.1037/1076‑898X.14.2.101
    https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-898X.14.2.101 [Google Scholar]
  51. Penson, P. E.
    (2012) Lecturing: A lost art. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 4(1), 72–76. 10.1016/j.cptl.2011.10.010
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2011.10.010 [Google Scholar]
  52. Piolat, A., Olive, T., & Kellogg, R.
    (2005) Cognitive effort during note taking. Applied Cognitive Psychology191, 291–312. 10.1002/acp.1086
    https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.1086 [Google Scholar]
  53. Pun, J., & Macaro, E.
    (2018) The effect of first and second language use on question types in English medium instruction science classrooms in Hong Kong. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 221, 1–14. 10.1080/13670050.2018.1510368
    https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2018.1510368 [Google Scholar]
  54. Ritchie, T. D., Skowronski, J. J., Wood, S. E., Walker, Vogl, R. J., & Gibbons, J.
    (2006) Event self-importance, event rehearsal and the fading affect bias in autobiographical memory. Self and Identity, 5(2), 172–195. 10.1080/15298860600591222
    https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860600591222 [Google Scholar]
  55. Rose, H., Curle, S., Aizawa, I., & Thompson, G.
    (2020) What drives success in English medium taught courses? The interplay between language proficiency, academic skills, and motivation. Studies in Higher Education, 451, 2149–2161. 10.1080/03075079.2019.1590690
    https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1590690 [Google Scholar]
  56. Rost, M.
    (2002) Teaching and researching listening. Longman.
    [Google Scholar]
  57. Rukthong, A., & Brunfaut, T.
    (2020) Is anybody listening? The nature of second language listening in integrated listening-to-summarize tasks. Language Testing, 37(1), 31–53. 10.1177/0265532219871470
    https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532219871470 [Google Scholar]
  58. Sert, N.
    (2008) The language of instruction dilemma in the Turkish context. System36(2), 156–171. 10.1016/j.system.2007.11.006
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2007.11.006 [Google Scholar]
  59. Siegel, J.
    (2020) Comprehension in English medium instruction (EMI) lectures: On the impact of lecturer L2 English use. Language Learning in Higher Education, 101, 73–91. 10.1515/cercles‑2020‑2005
    https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2020-2005 [Google Scholar]
  60. (2022) Comparing teacher priorities and student uptake in EMI lectures: An exploratory study. Languages7(39). 10.3390/languages7010039
    https://doi.org/10.3390/languages7010039 [Google Scholar]
  61. Tange, H.
    (2010) Caught in the Tower of Babel: University lecturers’ experiences with internationalisation. Language and Intercultural Communication, 10(2), 137–149. 10.1080/14708470903342138
    https://doi.org/10.1080/14708470903342138 [Google Scholar]
  62. Tatzl, D.
    (2011) English-medium masters’ programmes at an Austrian university of applied sciences: Attitudes, experiences, and challenges. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 101, 252–270. 10.1016/j.jeap.2011.08.003
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2011.08.003 [Google Scholar]
  63. Tsai-Fu, T. & Wu, Y.
    (2010) Effects of note-taking instruction and note-taking languages on college EFL students’ listening comprehension. New Horizons in Education, 58(1), 120–132.
    [Google Scholar]
  64. Uchihara, T., & Harada, T.
    (2018) Roles of vocabulary knowledge for success in English-medium instruction: Self-perceptions and academic outcomes of Japanese undergraduates. TESOL Quarterly, 521, 564–587. 10.1002/tesq.453
    https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.453 [Google Scholar]
  65. Vandergrift, L.
    (2007) Recent developments in second and foreign language listening comprehension research. Language Teaching, 401, 191–210. 10.1017/S0261444807004338
    https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444807004338 [Google Scholar]
  66. Vandergrift, L., & Baker, S.
    (2015) Learner variables in second language listening comprehension: An exploratory path analysis. Language Learning, 651, 390–416. 10.1111/lang.12105
    https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12105 [Google Scholar]
  67. Wang, W., & Curdt-Christiansen, X. L.
    (2018) Translanguaging in a Chinese-English bilingual education programme: A university-classroom ethnography. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 22(3), 322–337. 10.1080/13670050.2018.1526254
    https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2018.1526254 [Google Scholar]
  68. White, A. R., Treenate, D., Kiatgungwalgrai, A., Somnuk, R., & Chaloemchatvarakorn, K.
    (2016) The effects of accent familiarity on English as a foreign language students’ word recognition and comprehension of the English language. UTK Journal, 10(2), 21–29.
    [Google Scholar]
  69. Xie, W., & Curle, S.
    (2020) Success in English medium instruction in China: Significant indicators and implications. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 251, 585–597. 10.1080/13670050.2019.1703898
    https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2019.1703898 [Google Scholar]
  70. Xodabande, I., Ebrahimi, H., & Karimpour, S.
    (2022) How much vocabulary is needed for comprehension of video lectures in MOOCs: A corpus-based study. Frontiers in Psychology, 131, Article 992638. 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.992638
    https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.992638 [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1075/jemi.23001.duc
Loading
/content/journals/10.1075/jemi.23001.duc
Loading

Data & Media loading...

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error