The use of English as a medium of instruction (EMI) in higher education is a growing phenomenon worldwide, frequently promoted as a means of enriching the student's learning pathway, improving language skills, and increasing employability (Coleman 2006; Dearden 2015). Previous research has shown that EMI students often opt for English-mediated education because they hope to improve their English proficiency while engaged in content-oriented activities (Broggini and Costa 2017; Galloway 2020). However, their expectations are not always met since language gains are not frequently mentioned in the course syllabi nor is direct language teaching usually provided to students (Pecorari and Malmström 2018). Given the immersion in an English-speaking environment and the exposure to language input, there is some evidence to suppose that language improvement may occur incidentally in EMI, even though little empirical research has focused on students' English improvement in EMI, neither in the form of incidental learning nor voluntarily. This study seeks to fill this gap and to shed light on the students' perceptions of language improvement. The data were collected in an EMI medical school in Italy through a survey, which focused on the students' language experience over a four-year period, from the first to the fourth year of academic studies in English. Specifically, one hundred students, both local and international, were involved in the research and were asked to reflect on their English skills and improvement. The preliminary findings showed that more than half of the learners believed that their skills had improved incidentally while studying scientific subjects through the medium of English. Taken together, the results may have some implications for developing more extensive language support and innovative strategies.
Incidental Learning in English-medium Instruction: A Case Study in an Italian University
Stefania Cicillini
2024-01-01
Abstract
The use of English as a medium of instruction (EMI) in higher education is a growing phenomenon worldwide, frequently promoted as a means of enriching the student's learning pathway, improving language skills, and increasing employability (Coleman 2006; Dearden 2015). Previous research has shown that EMI students often opt for English-mediated education because they hope to improve their English proficiency while engaged in content-oriented activities (Broggini and Costa 2017; Galloway 2020). However, their expectations are not always met since language gains are not frequently mentioned in the course syllabi nor is direct language teaching usually provided to students (Pecorari and Malmström 2018). Given the immersion in an English-speaking environment and the exposure to language input, there is some evidence to suppose that language improvement may occur incidentally in EMI, even though little empirical research has focused on students' English improvement in EMI, neither in the form of incidental learning nor voluntarily. This study seeks to fill this gap and to shed light on the students' perceptions of language improvement. The data were collected in an EMI medical school in Italy through a survey, which focused on the students' language experience over a four-year period, from the first to the fourth year of academic studies in English. Specifically, one hundred students, both local and international, were involved in the research and were asked to reflect on their English skills and improvement. The preliminary findings showed that more than half of the learners believed that their skills had improved incidentally while studying scientific subjects through the medium of English. Taken together, the results may have some implications for developing more extensive language support and innovative strategies.
I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
