Journal of English-Medium Instruction - Volume 1, Issue 2, 2022

English-medium instruction (EMI) universities in non-English-dominant contexts often use internationally available tests of English (e.g., TOEFL) and/or locally developed tests to assess the academic English-language proficiency of applicants prior to admission. However, little research has been conducted to establish the extent to which either type of test reflects the real-world classroom discourse, and associated communicative demands, within these often multilingual educational contexts. In this paper, we report on one part of a larger study designed to address this research gap in a particular EMI environment – the American University of Beirut (AUB) in Lebanon. We collected and analysed samples of language use at AUB through non-participant ethnographic observations and video recordings of eight undergraduate classes across academic disciplines. Findings indicated that classes were varied in nature, shifted between registers and levels of interaction, involved a range of translanguaging and English as a Lingua Franca-oriented phenomena, and included meta-commentary about language use. We argue that speaking and listening constructs in English-language admissions tests used in EMI contexts ideally need to be localised or locally developed to best match the unique language use characteristics of these settings.

This study investigated to what extent the complexity of EMI university reading materials matches EMI students’ reading proficiency. Text complexity and student proficiency were compared utilizing the Lexile^® Framework for Reading text measures, reading test results, student questionnaire responses, and interviews with EMI lecturers. The results of the study indicate that, on average, Lexile text measures of EMI reading materials match students’ Lexile reading scores well. However, the analyses also show that there are wide disparities between texts in terms of difficulty and students in terms of proficiency. The questionnaire and interview data show that factors such as students’ topical knowledge, text length, and text structure and organization are relevant aspects of perceived text complexity beyond word frequency and sentence length. In terms of assessment practices in EMI contexts, the findings of the study suggest that (1) EMI language admission tests should consider reading ability separately; (2) integrated reading/speaking and reading/writing tasks should be authentic; (3) language tests for admission in EMI settings should also consider text length; and (4) texts in language tests for admission should vary in terms of Lexile scores to reflect real-world EMI contexts.

Research and discussion on assessment in English Medium Instruction (EMI) programs, specifically on formative on-going assessment theory and practice, is scant. This is despite the shift in education towards assessment for learning paradigms, and the potential contribution of on-going feedback-led assessment for coping with the challenges that the EMI content/language framework presents. This paper attempts to account for the absence of formative assessment from EMI programs by examining EMI as an international construct, situated in higher education institutional organizational and assessment cultures. It emphasizes the need for training in assessment for EMI content lectures, and concludes by identifying four areas relevant to their EMI assessment literacy (EMIAL): contextual and policy literacies; the role of language in facilitating content learning; formative assessment for learning orientations; and awareness and understanding of students’ linguistic and content needs.

EMI assessment research designed to compare academic achievement in EMI and L1-medium courses aims to examine language and content learning outcomes (Dafouz & Camacho-Miñano, 2016; Hernández-Nanclares & Jiménez-Munoz, 2015; Yang, 2015). However, these studies provide little insight into learning processes. A genre analysis perspective, in contrast, can offer a deeper understanding of the development of student disciplinary literacy. Based on genre analysis studies on student writing (Nesi & Gardner, 2012; Parkinson, 2017; Swales, 1990), we aim to describe the written genre in student laboratory reports from an EMI course on a Mechanical Engineering degree programme. Seven students’ laboratory reports as well as the lecturer’s instructions, the assessment rubric, and written feedback were examined using genre analysis. This case study contributes to the emerging literature on assessment in EMI by foregrounding the advantages of genre analysis as an analytical methodology and shedding light on students’ development of literacy in disciplinary writing.

In Flemish higher education, lecturers teaching in a language other than their mother tongue need official proof of their C1 level in that language. As a result, Flemish universities developed the ITACE (Interuniversity Test of Academic English), a domain-specific and purpose-built language test linked to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and validated by an independent audit commission. Yet, the introduction of a mandatory language test was heavily contested in Flemish academia and in the media. In addition, the ITACE was perceived as a political tool of the government to enforce its language policy. Almost ten years after its introduction, the ITACE now appears to be widely accepted. The introduction of the test revealed that initial scepticism can be overcome through development, proper contextualization, and use of a high-quality, target-specific instrument. The article discusses the context in which the test was created, the construction of the test (addressing issues of reliability and validity), and the implications of the test, including its pedagogical and societal relevance.