Impacts of EMI Courses on English Language Proficiency: Students’ Voices

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54855/ijli.24348

Keywords:

EMI, improvement, specialized vocabulary acquisition, tourism and hospitality education, language skills

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) courses in fostering the development of English language skills among students majoring in tourism and hospitality at a Vietnamese higher education institution. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected from 154 EMI students majoring in tourism and hospitality through a questionnaire. The results demonstrate that students perceive the greatest improvement in their specialized English vocabulary knowledge after taking EMI courses. However, writing skills and the ability to use English grammar in daily conversation are perceived to improve the least. Compared to second-year students, third-year students evaluate the effectiveness of EMI courses in improving English language proficiency higher. In addition, EMI students report that in-class activities such as listening to EMI lectures, studying class materials, participating in oral presentations, and making English presentations help enhance students’ English.

Author Biographies

  • Dang Thi Minh Tam, Hanoi University of Industry, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Dr. Dang Thi Minh Tam is the Vice Dean of the English Language Faculty at the School of Languages and Tourism, Hanoi University of Industry, Vietnam. She earned her PhD in Applied Linguistics from Murdoch University, Australia, in 2022. Dr. Dang’s research focuses on teaching pedagogies, language and culture, curriculum development, blended learning, and English as a Medium of Instruction.

  • Nguyen Thi Minh Chi, Hanoi University of Industry, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Nguyen Thi Minh Chi has been a teacher of English at the School of Languages and Tourism, HAUI since 2023. Her research interests are English language teaching methodology, second language acquisition, material development, and English as a Medium of Instruction.

References

Airey, J. (2012). “I don’t teach language”: The linguistic attitudes of physics lecturers in Sweden. AILA Review, 25, 64–79. https://doi.org/10.1075/aila.25.05air

Bälter, O., Kann, V., Mutimukwe, C., & Malmström, H. (2023). English-medium instruction and impact on academic performance: A randomized control study. Applied Linguistics Review, 15(6), 2373–2396. https://doi.org/10.1515/applirev-2022-0093

Beckett, G., & Li, F. (2012). Content-Based English Education in China: Students’ Experiences and Perspectives. Journal of Contemporary Issues in Education, 7(1), 47–63. https://doi.org/10.20355/C5B59J

Bharadwaj, A., Jackson, D., Rastogi, V., & Rinne, T. (2013). Vietnam and Myanmar: Southeast Asia new growth frontiers. BCG. https://www.bcg.com/publications/2013/ globalization-vietnam-myanmar-southeastasia-new-growth-frontiers

Birgün, M. (2023). Lecturers’ Perspectives on English Medium Instruction (EMI): Implications for Professional Development. Kastamonu Eğitim Dergisi, 32(2), 282–294. https://doi.org/10.24106/kefdergi.1473603

Chapple, J. (2015). Teaching in English Is Not Necessarily the Teaching of English. International Education Studies, 8(3), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v8n3p1

Chung, C.-L., & Lo, M.-L. (2023). The Effect of an Engineering EMI Course on University Students’ English Proficiency and Content Learning. English Teaching & Learning, 47(2), 197–220. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42321-022-00109-6

Curle, S., Jablonkai, R., Mittelmeier, J., & Sahan, K. (2020). English in higher education – English medium: Literature review. ELT Research Papers, British Council. https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/L020_English_HE_lit_review_FINAL.pdf

Dang, T. K. A., Bonar, G., & Yao, J. (2023). Professional learning for educators teaching in English-medium-instruction in higher education: A systematic review. Teaching in Higher Education, 28(4), 840–858. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2020.1863350

Dearden, J. (2014). English medium Instruction: A Growing Global Phenomenon. Unpublished. http://rgdoi.net/10.13140/RG.2.2.12079.94888

Derakhshan, A., Rakhshanderoo, M., & Curle, S. (2022). University Students and Instructors’ Attitudes towards English-Medium Instruction Courses: Voices from Iran. In S. S. Scatolini, A. Alhassan, H. I. H. Ali, & S. Curle (Eds.), English-medium instruction in higher education in the Middle East and North Africa: Policy, research and pedagogy (First edition). Bloomsbury Academic.

Dinh, A., & Nguyen, T. (2019). Attracting foreign direct investment in higher education industry in Vietnam. International Journal of Advanced Education and Research, 4(3), 24–27.

Do, M. H., & Le, T. D. L. (2017). Content Lecturers’ Challenges In Emi Classroom. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.256802

Doiz, A., Lasagabaster, D., & Sierra, J. M. (Eds.). (2013). English-medium instruction at universities: Global challenges. Multilingual Matters.

Ducker, N. (2019). English as a Medium of Instruction. In J. I. Liontas (Ed.), The TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching (1st ed., pp. 1–7). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118784235.eelt0968

Evans, S., & Green, C. (2007). Why EAP is necessary: A survey of Hong Kong tertiary students. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 6(1), 3–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2006.11.005

Flowerdew, J., & Miller, L. (1992). Student Perceptions, Problems and Strategies in Second Language Lecture Comprehension. RELC Journal, 23(2), 60–80. https://doi.org/10.1177/003368829202300205

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://englishagenda.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/attachments/h035_eltra_internationalisation_he_and_the_growing_demand_for_english_a4_final_web.pdf

Galloway, N., & Rose, H. (2015). Introducing global Englishes. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Gartner, S., & Krasna, M. (2015). Online learning efficiency in the humanities. 2015 38th International Convention on Information and Communication Technology, Electronics and Microelectronics (MIPRO), 710–714. https://doi.org/10.1109/MIPRO.2015.7160364

Hamid, M. O., Nguyen, H. T. M., & Baldauf, R. B. (2013). Medium of instruction in Asia: Context, processes and outcomes. Current Issues in Language Planning, 14(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/14664208.2013.792130

Ho, B., & Ho, K. K. (2004). The Developmental Trend of the Medium of Instruction in Secondary Schools of Hong Kong: Prospect and Retrospect. Language and Education, 18(5), 400–412. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500780408666891

Hyland, K. (2006). English for Academic Purposes: An Advanced Resource Book. Routledge.

Hyland, K. (2013). Writing in the disciplines: Research evidence for specificity. Taylor & Francis.

Kaplan, R. B., & Baldauf, R. B. (1997). Language planning from practice to theory. Multilingual Matters.

Le, M. (2012). English as a Medium of Instruction at Tertiary Education System in Vietnam. The Journal of Asia TEFL, 9(2), 97–122.

Le, T. T. N. (2016). Exploring students’ experiences of English medium instruction in Vietnamese universities. University of Newcastle.

Lestari, D. (2020). Behind the improvement of students' English proficiency in an EMI university. Jurnal SMART, 6(1), 10–23.

Lo, Y. Y., & Macaro, E. (2012). The medium of instruction and classroom interaction: Evidence from Hong Kong secondary schools. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 15(1), 29–52. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2011.588307

Macaro, E., Curle, S., Pun, J., An, J., & Dearden, J. (2018). A systematic review of English medium instruction in higher education. Language Teaching, 51(1), 36–76. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444817000350

MOET-International Cooperation Department. (2023). Chức năng nhiệm vụ. https://icd.edu.vn/

Ngo, P. L. H. (2019). English-Medium Instruction (EMI) in Higher Education: A case study of an EMI programme in Vietnam [PhD Thesis]. University of Southampton.

Nguyen, H. T., Hamid, M. O., & Moni, K. (2016). English-medium instruction and self-governance in higher education: The journey of a Vietnamese university through the institutional autonomy regime. Higher Education, 72(5), 669–683. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-015-9970-y

Nguyen, H. T., Walkinshaw, I., & Pham, H. H. (2017). EMI Programs in a Vietnamese University: Language, Pedagogy and Policy Issues. In B. Fenton-Smith, P. Humphreys, & I. Walkinshaw (Eds.), English Medium Instruction in Higher Education in Asia-Pacific (Vol. 21, pp. 37–52). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51976-0_3

Nguyen, T. N. T. (2022). A review of studies on EFL teachers’ and students’ perceptions of tranglanguaging as a pedagogical approach. International Journal of TESOL & Education, 2(3), 324–331. https://doi.org/10.54855/ijte.222322

Nguyen, T. H. H., Ho, T. N., Do, T. M. D., & Pham, T. T. T. (2024). Factors Affecting Learner Autonomy in EMI Studying of English-Major Students at some Economics Universities in Hanoi, Vietnam. International Journal of Language Instruction, 3(3), 36–53. https://doi.org/10.54855/ijli.24333

North, B. (2014). The CEFR in practice. Cambridge University Press.

Phan, L. H., & Doan, B. N. (2020). Higher education in market-oriented socialist Vietnam: New players, discourses, and practices. Palgrave Macmillan.

Rahman, M. M., & Mehar Singh, M. K. (2020). Language ideology of English-medium instruction in higher education: A case study from Bangladesh. English Today, 36(4), 40–46. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266078419000294

Rizvi, F. (2020). Afterword: Challenges Facing Vietnamese Higher Education. In P. Le Ha & D. Ba Ngoc (Eds.), Higher Education in Market-Oriented Socialist Vietnam (pp. 379–387). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46912-2_21

Sah, P. K., & Li, G. (2018). English Medium Instruction (EMI) as Linguistic Capital in Nepal: Promises and Realities. International Multilingual Research Journal, 12(2), 109–123. https://doi.org/10.1080/19313152.2017.1401448

Sahan, K., & Şahan, Ö. (2024). Investigating student and alumni perspectives on language learning and career prospects through English medium instruction. Teaching in Higher Education, 29(1), 194–215. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2021.1973407

Sánchez-Pérez, M. del M. (2023). The impact of EMI on student English writing proficiency in a Spanish undergraduate engineering context. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 2, 373–397.

Soruç, A., & Griffiths, C. (2018). English as a medium of instruction: Students’ strategies. ELT Journal, 72(1), 38–48. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccx017

Su, P., & Kong, J. (2023). Implementing EMI in Chinese music classes: Students’ perceived benefits and challenges. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1086392. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1086392

Thuy Nga. (2022, January). More Vietnamese universities require IELTS and other international tests for admission. Vietnamnet. https://vietnamnet.vn/en/more-vietnamese-universities-require-ielts-and-other-international-tests-for-admission-804391.html

Tran, L., & Marginson, S. (2018). Internationalisation of Vietnamese higher education: An overview. In Internationalisation in Vietnamese Higher Education (pp. 1–16). Springer.

Tran, N., Hoang, G., & Vo, Q. (2019). At-home international education in Vietnamese universities: Impact on graduates’ employability and career prospects. Higher Education, 78(5), 817–834. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-019-00372-w

Trinh, A. N., & Conner, L. (2019). Student Engagement in Internationalization of the Curriculum: Vietnamese Domestic Students’ Perspectives. Journal of Studies in International Education, 23(1), 154–170. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315318814065

Truong, L. T. T. (2017). Using English as a medium of instruction in higher education in Vietnam: A case study of a physics degree program [Master’s dissertation]. Macquarie University.

Truong, L. T. T., Ngo, P. L. H., & Nguyen, M. X. N. C. (2020). Assessment Practices in Local and International EMI Programmes: Perspectives of Vietnamese Students. In P. Le Ha & D. Ba Ngoc (Eds.), Higher Education in Market-Oriented Socialist Vietnam (pp. 307–329). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46912-2_16

Van Der Worp, K. (2017). English Medium Instruction: A way towards linguistically better prepared professionals in the Basque Autonomous Community? International Journal of Multilingualism, 14(1), 53–68. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2017.1258994

Vidal, K., & Jarvis, S. (2020). Effects of English-medium instruction on Spanish students’ proficiency and lexical diversity in English. Language Teaching Research, 24(5), 568–587. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168818817945

Villares, R. (2019). The Role of Language Policy Documents in the Internationalisation of Multilingual Higher Education: An Exploratory Corpus-Based Study. Languages, 4(3), 56. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages4030056

Vinuniversity. (2023). Welcome international students to VinUniversity. Vinuniversity. https://vinuni.edu.vn/

Vu, T. T. N., & Burns, A. (2014). English as a Medium of Instruction: Challenges for Vietnamese Tertiary Lecturers. The Journal of Asia TEFL, 11(3), 1–31.

Wächter, B., & Maiworm, F. (Eds.). (2014). English-taught programmes in European higher education: The state of play in 2014. Lemmens.

Wang, Y., & Yu, S. (2023). Learning through EMI (English-medium instruction) in a Macau university: Students’ perspectives and content and language outcomes. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2023.2270725

Yuksel, D., Soruç, A., Altay, M., & Curle, S. (2023). A longitudinal study at an English medium instruction university in Turkey: The interplay between English language improvement and academic success. Applied Linguistics Review, 14(3), 533–552. https://doi.org/10.1515/applirev-2020-0097

Yu-Ying Chang. (2010). English-medium Instruction for Subject Courses in Tertiary Education: Reactions from Taiwanese Undergraduate Students. Taiwan International ESP Journal, 2(1), 55–80. https://doi.org/10.6706/TIESPJ.2010.2.1.3

Downloads

Published

16-12-2024

Issue

Section

Research Article

How to Cite

Dang, T. M. T., & Nguyen, T. M. C. (2024). Impacts of EMI Courses on English Language Proficiency: Students’ Voices. International Journal of Language Instruction, 3(4), 134-159. https://doi.org/10.54855/ijli.24348

Similar Articles

1-10 of 55

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.