Investigating English-medium instruction for international students in China

ABSTRACT

Few studies have investigated current English-medium Instruction (EMI) programmes for international students studying in universities in China’s mainland. The present study applies Spolsky’s language policy framework to analyze Chinese EMI programmes in terms of language ideology, language management, and language practices on the national level, the university level and the individual level. Data are collected from policy statements, interviews, and questionnaires. This study finds that in EMI programmes for international students, language belief lays the foundation for meso-level language management. Guided by macro beliefs, meso institutions use the management tools of curriculum design, instructional staff management, and evaluation to implement EMI programmes. Language practice is influenced by and modifies beliefs and management. In practice, professional learning is prioritised, and a slight mismatch between the language support provided by the institutions and international students’ actual expectations is found. This study contributes to the development and implementation of EMI in Chinese higher education.

KEYWORDS:

• EMI
• international students
• bilingual education
• language policy
• universities in China’s mainland

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 As of June 23, 2021, China has signed 206 cooperation documents with 140 countries and 32 international organizations to build ‘One Belt, One Road’. The list of all Belt and Road countries in the website: https://www.yidaiyilu.gov.cn/

2 There are six levels, from HSK (level I), the beginner level, to HSK (level VI), the advanced level.

3 ECC (Easy Chinese Code), read as /hàn yì mǎ/ in Chinese. It is a keyboard-based Chinese character learning tool supported by an online dictionary; also it refers to the Chinese typing software per se.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Zhou-min Yuan

Zhou-min Yuan is professor of linguistics at Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, China. His research interests are interpersonal pragmatics, computer-mediated communication, second language pragmatics and cultural discourse studies. His recent publications include articles in Pragmatics & Society, Applied Linguistics Review, Discourse, Context & Media, Journal of Language, Identity and Education and many top-rated peer-reviewed journals in China.. He is the author of ‘‘Online News” (2015) in Tracy, K., C. Ilie, and T. Sandel (eds) International Encyclopedia of Language and Social Interaction.

Chu-nan Li

Chu-nan Li is a graduate student in the School of International Studies at Zhejiang University. Her research interests include syntax, second language teaching and sociolinguistics.