Speaker
Description
English Medium Instruction (EMI) courses can be challenging for students. As a result, they may rely on generalizations or platitudes in writing assignments. However, writing of this nature does not demonstrate students’ understanding of content. In this presentation, an approach based on exemplifying concepts by connecting them to personal experiences will be shown. Additionally, drawing on Bloom’s revised taxonomy, it will be explained how it can demonstrate students’ understanding of concepts.
Abstract section 3: Content/method
First, the issue of students using generalizations and platitudes in writing assignment in EMI courses will be discussed with examples of students’ work. Then, the key concepts, as presented in abstract section 4, will be introduced. Next, an approach to writing assignments in EMI courses that asks students to connect course concepts to personal experience will be introduced. Finally, advice for implementing this approach in the attendees’ courses will be given.
Abstract section 4: Outcomes/results
This activity draws on the “understand” category of Bloom’s revised taxonomy through exemplifying (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). By eliciting student experiences that can serve as examples of the concepts studied in class, students’ grasp of the material can be seen more clearly. Additionally, it draws on the idea that personal stories can make abstract concepts more comprehensible (hooks, 2010). After presenting these key concepts, a writing activity used in an EMI lecture course that draws on these concepts will be introduced. Attendees will see examples of student work and will learn how to implement this approach in their own courses.
Abstract section 1: Relevance
With the growing number of English Medium Instruction (EMI) courses in Japan, many researchers have noted various factors that can make the content of these courses difficult for students to comprehend. Among these are a lack of general English language proficiency (Yashima & Kojima, 2024), weaknesses in specific areas such as listening, vocabulary, and academic skills (Matikainen, 2024; Phuong & Nguyen, 2019), and insufficient background knowledge (Aizawa et al., 2023). Therefore, it is imperative that educators ensure that students are able to understand the content they are learning. One way to assess this is through writing assignments.
Abstract section 5: References
Aizawa, I., Rose, H., Thompson, G., & Curle, S. (2023). Beyond the threshold: Exploring English language proficiency, linguistic challenges, and academic language skills of Japanese students in an English medium instruction programme. Language Teaching Research 27(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168820965510
Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. Longman.
hooks, b. (2010), Teaching critical thinking: Practical wisdom. Routledge.
Matikainen, T. (2024). Academic writing in English: Lessons from an EMI-program in Japan. Journal of English for Academic Purposes 68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2024.101358
Phuong, Y. H., & Nguyen, T. T. (2019). Students’ perceptions towards the benefits and drawbacks of EMI classes. English Language Teaching 12(5), 88-100. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v12n5p88
Yashima, T., & Kojima, N. (2024). English learning motivation, proficiency, and success in EMI. JACET Journal 68, 91-107. https://doi.org/10.32234/jacetjournal.68.0_91
Abstract section 2: Contribution/research questions
When students do not comprehend the content of EMI courses well, they may rely on broad generalizations or platitudes in writing assignments. These do not demonstrate students’ understanding of content. Therefore, the aim of this presentation is to describe and demonstrate an approach to writing assignments in EMI courses that ask students to connect course content to their personal experiences, which provides a stronger picture of students’ understanding.
| Title | Avoiding Generalizations through Exemplification in EMI |
|---|---|
| Teaching Context | College and university education |