English-medium teaching in Korean higher education: policy debates and reality
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the effectiveness of English medium instruction (EMI) policy within the context of Korean higher education, putting a special focus on its implementation strategy and found that although the EMI policy seems to have produced, in general, positive outcomes (i.e., with the overall satisfaction level with EMI or its overall effectiveness in improving students' English proficiency), the compulsory enforcement of EMI without regard to students'/instructors' language proficiency, the lack of a much-needed support system and appropriate instructors to conduct EMI classes, and the
Abstract: This study critically examined the effectiveness of English medium instruction (EMI) policy within the context of Korean higher education, putting a special focus on its implementation strategy. The data for this study were mainly drawn from student opinion surveys and focus group interviews conducted by the CTL (Center for Teaching and Learning) at KU. The research teams also carried out supplementary interviews with both professors and students. The results indicate that, although the EMI policy seems to have produced, in general, positive outcomes (i.e., with the overall satisfaction level with EMI or its overall effectiveness in improving students’ English proficiency), the compulsory enforcement of EMI without regard to students’/instructors’ language proficiency, the lack of a much-needed support system and appropriate instructors to conduct EMI classes, and the unilateral implementation of EMI across academic disciplines have brought about a number of side effects. Based on these findings, the study recommends for future EMI policy implementation (1) a more flexible approach, considering students’ language proficiency and career plans and the characteristics of various academic disciplines and (2) more thorough preparation to implement the EMI policy (i.e., examination of the human and financial resources available for the institution concerned).
Citations
More filters
TL;DR: The authors conducted a systematic review of research in English medium instruction (EMI) in higher education and concluded that the research evidence to date is insufficient to assert that EMI benefits language learning nor that it is clearly detrimental to content learning.
Abstract: After outlining why a systematic review of research in English medium instruction (EMI) in higher education (HE) is urgently required, we briefly situate the rapidly growing EMI phenomenon in the broader field of research in which content and language have been considered and compare HE research outputs with those from other phases of education. An in-depth review of 83 studies in HE documents the growth of EMI in different geographical areas. We describe studies which have investigated university teachers’ beliefs and those of students before attempting to synthesise the evidence on whether teaching academic subjects through the medium of English as a second language (L2) is of benefit to developing English proficiency without a detrimental effect on content learning. We conclude that key stakeholders have serious concerns regarding the introduction and implementation of EMI despite sometimes recognising its inevitability. We also conclude that the research evidence to date is insufficient to assert that EMI benefits language learning nor that it is clearly detrimental to content learning. There are also insufficient studies demonstrating, through the classroom discourse, the kind of practice which may lead to beneficial outcomes. This insufficiency, we argue, is partly due to research methodology problems both at the micro and macro level.
658 citations
TL;DR: This article synthesized research regarding optimal conditions for L2 acquisition, facilitative L2 learner and teacher characteristics, and speed of learner acquisition, from four bodies of work: foreign language education, child language research, sociocultural studies, and psycholinguistics.
Abstract: Educational policies that impact second language (L2) learners—a rapidly-growing group—are often enacted without consulting relevant research. This review synthesized research regarding optimal conditions for L2 acquisition, facilitative L2 learner and teacher characteristics, and speed of L2 acquisition, from four bodies of work—foreign language education, child language research, sociocultural studies, and psycholinguistics—often overlooked by educators. Seventy-one peer-reviewed journal articles studying PK-12 L2 learners met inclusion criteria. Findings included: 1) Optimal conditions for L2 learners immersed in a majority-L2 society include strong home literacy practices, opportunities to use the L2 informally, well-implemented specially-designed L2 educational programs, and sufficient time devoted to L2 literacy instruction, whereas L2 learners with little L2 exposure require explicit instruction to master grammar; 2) L2 learners with strong L2 aptitude, motivation, and first language (L1) skills ar...
177 citations
TL;DR: The authors explored the effectiveness of English as a medium of instruction (EMI) in the Arabian/Persian Gulf, with a special focus on the situation in the United Arab Emirates.
Abstract: This study explores the effectiveness of English as a medium of instruction (EMI) in the Arabian/Persian Gulf, with special focus on the situation in the United Arab Emirates. The study, undertaken at six universities located in major cities of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Al Ain, Sharjah, Ajman, and Ras Al Khaimah, examines students’ and teachers’ perceptions about the use of English to teach subject matter. A total of 500 students and 100 teachers responded via survey questionnaires and structured interviews about the effectiveness of EMI. Results suggest that the current EMI situation leaves much to be desired with students struggling to learn the subject matter due to their low-proficiency in English. This paper suggests implementing a bilingual curriculum in which instruction is delivered in English and Arabic in order to enhance students’ linguistic and biliteracy skills. The study has implications for language education policy issues in the Gulf and advocates bilingual education as a means to improving students’ mastery of English, while preserving their national identity and indigenous culture.
163 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report on a small scale study carried out in Austria, Italy and Poland which investigated the attitudes of university teachers engaged in teaching their academic subject through the medium of English and found that whilst very similar concerns are in the minds of the teachers regardless of the country they were teaching in, some interesting variability in attitudes, relating to language and to history, could be detected.
Abstract: We report on a small scale study carried out in Austria, Italy and Poland which investigated the attitudes of university teachers engaged in teaching their academic subject through the medium of English. The data consisted of 25 teacher interviews. We focused on the topics of internationalisation of universities, on policy and resourcing, and on the levels of English proficiency (theirs and those of their students) needed for effective English medium instruction (EMI). We also observed whether there were differences among the respondents from the three countries and attempted to relate any differences to the linguistic, educational and political context of each. Our findings suggest that whilst very similar concerns are in the minds of the teachers regardless of the country they were teaching in, some interesting variability in attitudes, relating to language and to history, could be detected. To our knowledge, this is the first study on EMI that compares teacher attitudes in three countries, hence its exploratory nature. Our findings would suggest that further research of such comparative kind might provide insights into how the phenomenon of EMI is being introduced and accepted across the world.
122 citations
Additional excerpts
...Similar positive views were also expressed in a Korean study (Byun et al., 2011), but concerns were articulated regarding whether students had the necessary English proficiency levels to cope at the beginning of the course, and whether sufficient support systems were available for EMI teachers....
[...]
TL;DR: In this article, a mixed-methods study compares the different motivations and experiences of international students within and outside the East Asian region, and suggests the possibility of Korea developing its position as a regional hub for education in East Asia.
Abstract: As the demand for international education increases, middle-income non-English speaking countries, such as South Korea, play an increasing role in hosting the world’s students. This mixed-methods study compares the different motivations and experiences of international students within and outside the East Asian region. Based on findings, this paper suggests the possibility of Korea developing its position as a regional hub for education in East Asia. It also discusses related issues such as English-Medium Instruction in Korean higher education as well as strategies for international student recruitment.
117 citations
Cites background from "English-medium teaching in Korean h..."
..., Byun et al. 2011) on Korean universities indicated that EMI may have positive effects on students’ learning outcomes in terms of improving students’ overall English proficiency, despite some criticism on its implementation (i.e., the compulsory enforcement of EMI without regard to students’/instructors’ language proficiency). On the other hand, Jon (2012) suggested that the use of English language could influence power dynamics among students in Korea....
[...]
References
More filters
01 Feb 2009
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe the process of inducting theory using case studies from specifying the research questions to reaching closure, which is a process similar to hypothesis-testing research.
Abstract: Building Theories From Case Study Research - This paper describes the process of inducting theory using case studies from specifying the research questions to reaching closure. Some features of the process, such as problem definition and construct validation, are similar to hypothesis-testing research. Others, such as within-case analysis and replication logic, are unique to the inductive, case-oriented process. Overall, the process described here is highly iterative and tightly linked to data. This research approach is especially appropriate in new topic areas. The resultant theory is often novel, testable, and empirically valid. Finally, framebreaking insights, the tests of good theory (e.g., parsimony, logical coherence), and convincing grounding in the evidence are the key criteria for evaluating this type of research.
40,005 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors define a leadership event as a perceived segment of action whose meaning is created by the interactions of actors involved in producing it, and present a set of innovative methods for capturing and analyzing these contextually driven processes.
Abstract: �Traditional, hierarchical views of leadership are less and less useful given the complexities of our modern world. Leadership theory must transition to new perspectives that account for the complex adaptive needs of organizations. In this paper, we propose that leadership (as opposed to leaders) can be seen as a complex dynamic process that emerges in the interactive “spaces between” people and ideas. That is, leadership is a dynamic that transcends the capabilities of individuals alone; it is the product of interaction, tension, and exchange rules governing changes in perceptions and understanding. We label this a dynamic of adaptive leadership, and we show how this dynamic provides important insights about the nature of leadership and its outcomes in organizational fields. We define a leadership event as a perceived segment of action whose meaning is created by the interactions of actors involved in producing it, and we present a set of innovative methods for capturing and analyzing these contextually driven processes. We provide theoretical and practical implications of these ideas for organizational behavior and organization and management theory.
22,673 citations
"English-medium teaching in Korean h..." refers methods in this paper
...To describe the effects of English-medium teaching on an institutional level, we conducted an in-depth case study: ‘‘a research strategy which focuses on understanding the dynamics present within single settings’’ ( Eisenhardt 1989: 534)....
[...]
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present the results of an investigation into the place of English in the curriculum in several countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and reveal significant problems, including confusion and inconsistency, at the level of policy, particularly regarding the issue of age of initial instruction, inequity regarding access to effective language instruction, inadequately trained and skilled teachers, and a disjunction between curriculum rhetoric and pedagogical reality.
Abstract: This article presents the results of an investigation into the place of English in the curriculum in several countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The study indicates that the emergence of English as a global language is having considerable impact on policies and practices in all countries surveyed. However, it also reveals significant problems, including confusion and inconsistency, at the level of policy, particularly regarding the issue of age of initial instruction, inequity regarding access to effective language instruction, inadequately trained and skilled teachers, and a disjunction between curriculum rhetoric and pedagogical reality.
1,136 citations
TL;DR: In the context of accelerating globalization and marketization, this article analyzed the forces which are driving the adoption of English, and some of the problems which accelerating "Englishization" of European Higher Education might create.
Abstract: In the global debates on English as international lingua franca or as ‘killer language’, the adoption of English as medium of instruction in Higher Education is raising increasing concern. Plurilingualism and multilingualism are embedded in the official policies of the European Union and Council of Europe, and the Bologna Process for harmonizing Higher Education promises ‘proper provision for linguistic diversity’. But even enthusiasts acknowledge the problems of implementing such policies in the face of an inexorable increase in the use of English. This survey draws on the most recent and sometimes disparate sources in an attempt to paint a comprehensive and up-to-date picture of the spread of English-medium teaching in Europe's universities. The article sets the changes in the context of accelerating globalization and marketization, and analyses the forces which are driving the adoption of English, and some of the problems which accelerating ‘Englishization’ of European Higher Education might create.
709 citations
"English-medium teaching in Korean h..." refers background in this paper
...In a similar vein, Smith (2004) (cited in Coleman 2006:10 ) also argued that although the gains from EMI outweigh the losses, EMI does create risks of domestic language attrition and cultural identity loss....
[...]
...To keep pace with this movement, a growing number of non-Englishspeaking countries are adopting English as a medium of instruction at their institutions of higher learning ( Coleman 2006 ; W a¨chter and Maiworm 2008)....
[...]
01 Jan 2004
TL;DR: The impact of globalization on higher education in developing countries is discussed in this article, where the authors highlight the ways in which globalization affects higher education and highlight some of the ways that globalization affects the university.
Abstract: Much has been said about the impact of globalization on higher education. Some have argued that globalization, the Internet, and the scientific community will level the playing field in the new age of knowledge interdependence. Others claim that globalization means both worldwide inequality and the McDonaldization of the university. It is argued that all of the contemporary pressures on higher education, from the pressures of massification to the growth of the private sector are the results of globalization. There is a grain of truth in all of these hypotheses—and a good deal of misinterpretation as well. The purpose of this essay is to “unpack” the realities of globalization and internationalization in higher education and to highlight some of the ways in which globalization affects the university. Of special interest here is how globalization is affecting higher education in developing countries—the nations that will experience the bulk of higher education expansion in the coming decades. Much has been said about the impact of globalization on higher education. Some have argued that globalization, the Internet, and the scientific community will level the playing field in the new age of knowledge interdependence. Others claim that globalization means both worldwide inequality and the McDonaldization of the university. It is argued that all of the contemporary pressures on higher education, from the pressures of massification to the growth of the private sector are the results of globalization. There is a grain of truth in all of these hypotheses—and a good deal of misinterpretation as well. The purpose of this essay is to “unpack” the realities of globalization and internationalization in higher education and to highlight some of the ways in which globalization affects the university. Academe around the world is affected differently by global trends. The countries of the European Union, for example, must adjust to new degree structures and other kinds of harmonization that are part of the Bologna and related initiatives. Countries that use English benefit from the increasingly widespread use of that language for science and scholarship. Of special interest here is how globalization is affecting higher education in
666 citations