Beyond the threshold: exploring English language proficiency, linguistic challenges, and academic language skills of Japanese students in an English Medium Instruction programme
This article examines the relationship between Japanese undergraduate students’ English language proficiency and English language-related challenges faced when studying an international business course through English. It also examines English language proficiency thresholds students need to reach i...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publications
2020
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| _version_ | 1797110066295341056 |
|---|---|
| author | Aizawa, I Rose, H Thompson, G Curle, S |
| author_facet | Aizawa, I Rose, H Thompson, G Curle, S |
| author_sort | Aizawa, I |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | This article examines the relationship between Japanese undergraduate
students’ English language proficiency and English language-related
challenges faced when studying an international business course through
English. It also examines English language proficiency thresholds students
need to reach in each academic skill (i.e. reading, listening, speaking and
writing) to experience a lower level of linguistic challenges. A total of 264
students were surveyed in Tokyo, Japan, and 13 follow-up interviews were
conducted. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the
underlying factors in the EMI Challenges Scale loaded onto a priori
assumptions of dimensions falling along skill-based constructs. Analysis of
questionnaire data revealed that English language proficiency (i.e. TOEIC
score) was a statistically significant predictor of challenges in the EMI
programme. While no clear discernible threshold was observed, the differences
in perceived ease of study at different levels of English proficiency influenced
the challenges students reported for each academic skill. Interview data
uncovered the multi-faceted nature of how the thresholds are determined not
only by language proficiency but also by other factors, such as prior content
knowledge, motivation, and the classroom learning environment. Practical
implications for pedagogy are also discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T07:50:02Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:7c54b379-3879-4edf-a3a1-b04a3837ac70 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T07:50:02Z |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publisher | SAGE Publications |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:7c54b379-3879-4edf-a3a1-b04a3837ac702023-07-12T07:56:37ZBeyond the threshold: exploring English language proficiency, linguistic challenges, and academic language skills of Japanese students in an English Medium Instruction programmeJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:7c54b379-3879-4edf-a3a1-b04a3837ac70EnglishSymplectic ElementsSAGE Publications2020Aizawa, IRose, HThompson, GCurle, SThis article examines the relationship between Japanese undergraduate students’ English language proficiency and English language-related challenges faced when studying an international business course through English. It also examines English language proficiency thresholds students need to reach in each academic skill (i.e. reading, listening, speaking and writing) to experience a lower level of linguistic challenges. A total of 264 students were surveyed in Tokyo, Japan, and 13 follow-up interviews were conducted. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the underlying factors in the EMI Challenges Scale loaded onto a priori assumptions of dimensions falling along skill-based constructs. Analysis of questionnaire data revealed that English language proficiency (i.e. TOEIC score) was a statistically significant predictor of challenges in the EMI programme. While no clear discernible threshold was observed, the differences in perceived ease of study at different levels of English proficiency influenced the challenges students reported for each academic skill. Interview data uncovered the multi-faceted nature of how the thresholds are determined not only by language proficiency but also by other factors, such as prior content knowledge, motivation, and the classroom learning environment. Practical implications for pedagogy are also discussed. |
| spellingShingle | Aizawa, I Rose, H Thompson, G Curle, S Beyond the threshold: exploring English language proficiency, linguistic challenges, and academic language skills of Japanese students in an English Medium Instruction programme |
| title | Beyond the threshold: exploring English language proficiency, linguistic challenges, and academic language skills of Japanese students in an English Medium Instruction programme |
| title_full | Beyond the threshold: exploring English language proficiency, linguistic challenges, and academic language skills of Japanese students in an English Medium Instruction programme |
| title_fullStr | Beyond the threshold: exploring English language proficiency, linguistic challenges, and academic language skills of Japanese students in an English Medium Instruction programme |
| title_full_unstemmed | Beyond the threshold: exploring English language proficiency, linguistic challenges, and academic language skills of Japanese students in an English Medium Instruction programme |
| title_short | Beyond the threshold: exploring English language proficiency, linguistic challenges, and academic language skills of Japanese students in an English Medium Instruction programme |
| title_sort | beyond the threshold exploring english language proficiency linguistic challenges and academic language skills of japanese students in an english medium instruction programme |
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