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Article published In: Journal of Immersion and Content-Based Language Education
Vol. 8:2 (2020) ► pp.257–284

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EMI lecturers’ practices in correcting English

Resources for language teaching?

ORCiD logo with link | University of Lleida
ORCiD logo with link | Polytechnic University of Catalonia
Published online: 14 May 2020
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jicb.19011.man
Abstract
Research on English-medium instruction (EMI) has pointed to lecturers’ refusal to teach or correct English. This study seeks empirical evidence to investigate the extent to which content lecturers’ assessment practices align with their expressed beliefs regarding language teaching. Drawing on three types of data – a questionnaire, interviews and students’ exams – we aimed at finding and exploring EMI lecturers’ written corrective feedback (WCF) as part of language assessment practices. Findings suggest that while EMI content lecturers repeatedly express their refusal to teach English, their actual teaching practices show evidence of some provision of language-related feedback. These findings are discussed against university language education policy. A gate opener lecturer profile is identified whose corrective feedback creates opportunities for correctly using disciplinary English.
Resum
La recerca en ensenyament amb l’anglès com a llengua vehicular ha identificat la reticència dels professors de contingut a ensenyar o corregir l’anglès. Aquest estudi persegueix identificar evidència empírica per tal d’investigar fins a quin punt les pràctiques de correcció dels professors de contingut que ensenyen en anglès coincideixen amb les seves creences en relació a l’ensenyament de llengua. Basant-nos en tres tipus de dades – un qüestionari, entrevistes i exàmens d’estudiants – el nostre objectiu és trobar i explorar correccions escrites que es puguin tipificar com a pràctiques d’avaluació de llengua. Els resultats indiquen que la negativa dels professors de contingut a ensenyar anglès queda repetidament palesa en les entrevistes, mentre que la seva pràctica real demostra que sí que proporcionen feedback relacionat amb llengua. Aques­ta troballa s’analitza en el marc de la política lingüística de la universitat. Identifiquem un perfil de professor que anomenem ‘facilitador’ (gate opener), les correccions del qual creen oportunitats per tal què els estudiants emprin l’anglès disciplinari correctament.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background
    • 2.1EMI lecturers and corrective feedback
    • 2.2Corrective feedback and assessment
  • 3.The study
    • 3.1Context
    • 3.2Research questions
    • 3.3Methodology and instruments
    • 3.4Participants
  • 4.Findings
    • 4.1Analysis of surveys
    • 4.2Analysis of interviews
    • 4.3Analysis of corrective feedback
    • 4.4Analysis of penalization of mistakes
  • 5.Discussion
  • 6.Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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