Journal of Immersion and Content-Based Language Education - Volume 8, Issue 1, 2020

Abstract

The proliferation of English-medium instruction (EMI) in higher education institutions (HEIs) across non-English-speaking Europe has been recently documented in several large-scale surveys. The opportunities and challenges of designing and implementing EMI policies are also widely recognized. However, our understanding of the use of EMI in Russian HEIs is limited. This study responds to this research need by exploring the experiences and perspectives of instructors teaching business-related subjects using the English language in two different Russian HEIs. A contribution of the study is to investigate these perspectives and experiences using the analytic lens of positioning theory. Results reveal the ways in which instructors are positioned by the university, as well how they position themselves, within an EMI environment. Acknowledging the potential antagonism that might result between different EMI stakeholders because of this positioning and repositioning, suggestions are then made as how this outcome could be avoided. Implications for future research are also considered.

Abstract

This article explores the relationship between teacher questioning practices and pedagogical objectives in Spanish- and English-medium lectures. The results obtained from the analysis of 16 lectures delivered by the same two university teachers both in Spanish and English reveal that the use of questions could be exploited more effectively for pedagogical purposes. Consequently, this paper tries to raise teachers’ awareness of the role of questions upon their teaching and their students’ learning process.

Abstract

In content and language integrated learning (CLIL) programmes, attention to language can be easily overlooked behind the assumption that language learning will take place incidentally. This study aimed at analysing the effects of a balanced integration of content and language on fifth graders’ foreign language (FL) oral performance. Two groups of participants had been doing CLIL in the form of an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) subject as of first grade, and yet observations revealed an important lack of focus on form in these lessons. CLIL materials and lessons that provided enough attention to language were designed and implemented for three months only in one of the groups. Students were assessed on their FL fluency and complexity before and after the treatment. Results revealed higher gains in speech rate and number of minimal contributions and a significantly lower L1 reliance in the case of the treatment group.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to better understand bilingualism in Persian-English preschool-aged children, and how their language performance across two domains of language related to their language production and parental language input. Participants were 15, 2- through 5-year old Persian-English bilingual children attending a Persian immersion preschool in the U.S. The participants completed a battery of language tasks in English and Persian and participants’ parents provided language input and production information. Data indicate that greater input in the heritage language outside school, Persian, will likely lead to better Persian skills, while greater English input may negatively affect the children’s Persian skills. Participants received consistent native-level Persian input in school, yet the results suggest that Persian as a heritage language in the U.S. may be susceptible to the same vulnerability that affects other non-mainstream languages.

Abstract

Foreign language learners’ phraseological proficiency remains problematic, even at advanced levels (e.g., Meunier, 2012; Meunier & Granger, 2008; Siepmann, 2008). While the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) method is believed to facilitate foreign language learning by fostering input, interaction, and output, little attention has been paid to the phraseological competence of CLIL learners. The present study aims to fill this gap as it is framed within an interdisciplinary project on CLIL in Belgium and specifically focuses on the phrasicon, i.e. the phraseological lexicon, of 5th year French-speaking secondary school learners of English in immersive (CLIL) and non-immersive (NON-CLIL) settings. The paper reports on (1) an analysis of the variety/range of the phrasicon and (2) an overview of phraseological accuracy. The analyses are based on a corpus of written productions of 180 learners. The findings of this study indicate higher frequency, range and accuracy in the phrasicon of CLIL learners.

This article reviews Mandarin Chinese Dual Language Immersion Programs9781788 923958$ 139.95€ 119.95£ 99.95

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