Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

English medium instruction (EMI) is gaining momentum in mainland China due to a national agenda to internationalise higher education (HE) as part of development efforts. This poses a range of challenges to students from Chinese-taught secondary schools, including listening to new academic content through English during their transition to EMI study. Drawing on Anderson's (2015) and Field's (2009) listening models, this study uses a process-oriented approach to examine whether students with varying English proficiency experience different listening challenges during their first experiences of university EMI study. It explores the interplay between English listening proficiency, self-efficacy, and motivation (i.e., goal orientation, task value) in students' perceived listening difficulties upon arrival at an EMI transnational university in mainland China. Data were collected from 316 students, including standardised English placement test scores, responses to questionnaires on listening difficulties, self-efficacy, and motivation, and analysis of interviews with 34 participants. Results reveal differences in cognitive stage-specific listening difficulties for students with varying proficiency, and highlight self-efficacy as a stronger predictor of listening difficulties than proficiency. The study offers important pedagogical implications for both EMI teaching and language support programmes during the transition period.

DOI： 10.1016/j.system.2023.102998

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

This article explores differences in content knowledge, English language proficiency, and motivation for learners studying via English medium instruction (EMI) at universities in Korea and Japan. It draws upon content knowledge test and questionnaire data from a total of 455 students from two institutions, representing three groups of students (business majors from the Japanese institution, business majors from the Korean institution, and non-business majors from the Korean institution). Results from a 3 × 2 factorial ANOVA indicated a significant interaction between the effect of student group and gender on content knowledge test scores and motivated behaviour, and significant differences between student groups on a range of motivational measures. Findings indicated differing learner profiles between the three groups: business-major students from the Korean institution tended to have stronger motivation and high content knowledge, regardless of gender while significant differences were identified between females and males within the Japanese business major group and non-business major group from the Korean institution. The comparative nature of the study highlights the potential impact of demographic variables across and between groups of EMI learners, indicating areas for future exploration within each of the programs explored in this study.

DOI： 10.1016/j.system.2022.102824

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

English medium instruction (EMI) is a growing phenomenon in higher education contexts across the globe, and EMI programs are expanding rapidly in Japan as part of their internationalization efforts. This paper explores the relationship between student self-beliefs and their success in an EMI course within a bilingual business program. It analyzed direct measures of content course and preparatory course performances, proficiency, and questionnaire data from 139 students completing an English-mediated International Business course at a university in Japan. These data were supplemented by interviews with seven students. Multiple linear regression analysis found L2 proficiency, preparatory course performance, and self-efficacy to predict success in the EMI course. Our qualitative findings support these results, indicating that students with stronger efficacy put forth more effort and see course activities as development opportunities. These findings highlight the need for efficacy development opportunities for students entering EMI study.

DOI： 10.1080/13670050.2019.1651819

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

English is increasingly being used as a medium instruction in business education at the tertiary level, with its growth fueled by university internationalization. As a result, many students enrolled in English medium business programs are learning through a second or foreign language, with variant levels of prior knowledge and experiences. This raises questions over the impact these factors have on students’ ability to succeed. This paper reports on an investigation of the extent that English language proficiency, mathematical ability, English self-efficacy, mathematical self-efficacy, experience overseas, and gender predict success in studying finance in English at a university in Japan.

DOI： 10.1080/08832323.2021.1924108

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

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 (English medium of instruction) 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.

DOI： 10.1177/1362168820965510

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Publishing type：Part of collection (book)  

Translation fidelity is often an overlooked aspect of research design within the field of applied linguistics. For studies using multiple languages for data collection and analysis, inadequately translated tools and data can lead to inaccurate conclusions. Research rigor is crucial for studies carried out in cross-cultural and multilingual contexts, where clear, replicable, translation processes are needed to maximize trustworthiness and validity. The challenge is particularly acute in small scale research where the researcher may not only create and translate the instruments, but also conduct qualitative analyses on the data. This chapter discusses key issues for multilingual research and introduces two serial translation procedures for strengthening the linguistic, cultural, and content validity of translated tools (e.g., survey instruments) and analysis texts (e.g., transcriptions). As translation is a key process in any research where multiple languages are being used in data collection and analysis, the chapter finishes by including a checklist for researchers, which can be used to evaluate the extent to which key issues have been addressed.

DOI： 10.4324/9780367824471-6

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Bandura (in: Pajares and Urdan, Self-efficacy beliefs of adolescents, Information Age, Greenwich, 2006) suggested that efficacy beliefs should be considered in relation to key challenges within a (teaching) context. As part of a larger project on the teacher efficacy beliefs of Japanese high-school teachers of English (JTEs), this paper reports exploratory findings of (i) the key domains of challenge in which JTEs’ teacher efficacy beliefs operate; and (ii) sources of information that may influence the formation and substance of those beliefs. Data from interviews with six purposively selected participants were analysed using a theoretical thematic analysis approach. Eight domains of teacher challenge were identified, comprised of individual and collective dimensions of teacher efficacy towards L2 usage, L2 instruction and teacher collaboration. Collaborative action was found to be a key challenge, suggesting that professional development should focus on strengthening JTEs’ beliefs about collective capability. Results suggest that social feedback by colleagues is a key source of efficacy, especially for novices. This may reflect cultural influences in the Japanese context. Personal and vicarious experiences of teaching were also identified as efficacy-forming sources. It seems also that past learning experiences act as sources of efficacy information, something future studies might explore.

DOI： 10.1007/s12564-019-09607-y

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

This study explored the foreign language teaching efficacy beliefs of Japanese high school English teachers. The study provides a teacher efficacy scale designed for the Japanese context, which could also be used or adapted for similar contexts in the wider East Asian area. Data were drawn from an online survey of 141 participants. Exploratory factor analysis identified five dimensions of latent teacher efficacy beliefs, including individual and collaborative dimensions, and some specific to the Japanese context, such as efficacy for helping students achieve entrance success. Findings also indicate that some dimensions of foreign language teaching efficacy, such as efficacy for using the L2, are generalizable to wider field.

DOI： 10.1080/1359866X.2018.1498062

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

This article explores the relationship between course performance, English language proficiency, motivation, and academic language skills in an English medium instruction (EMI) university context. It analyses test and questionnaire data from 146 students from an EMI business program at a Japanese university, and follow-up interviews with seven students. Proficiency test and subject exam scores revealed that knowledge of English language and academic English skill were statistically significant predictors of success in EMI, suggesting that lower proficiency students require more targeted language support in order to increase their likelihood of success. A motivation measure did not correlate with higher grades, contradicting research in language learning contexts. Interview data uncovered the multi-faceted nature of ‘success in EMI’ suggesting that students see success as a combination of final grades, lecture comprehension, English language proficiency gains, and long-term career advancement.

DOI： 10.1080/03075079.2019.1590690

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

This study examined the academic self-efficacy beliefs of second year university students majoring in International Business at a university in Japan. In the program, students start English medium instruction (EMI) from their third year, and complete EAP and ESP courses in their first and second years as part of a preparatory program. Students' perceptions of their capabilities to carry out academic tasks for studying business in English were investigated to evaluate students' confidence for carrying out key program objectives. Exploratory factor analysis identified four latent constructs of academic self-efficacy beliefs that corresponded to four different usage situations, where student efficacy was significantly weaker for one dimension of activity related to spontaneous language use in oral presentation question and answer time. Analysis of interviews with four students identified student perceptions of task difficulty and a lack of practice opportunities to be the primary reasons for weaker student confidence. Findings indicate that students heavily attend to past experience in the assessment of their efficacy beliefs and provide insights into relatively simple affordances for classroom and activity management that may enhance the development of learner efficacy towards EAP activities in preparatory programs.

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

How can Japanese teachers of English go about introducing more communicative activities suitable for their contexts? This article discusses an attempt by a high school teacher to implement communicative language teaching (CLT) in her classes while responding to institutional pressure to use yakudoku (a traditional grammar translation methodology) and focus on test and exam preparation. The article explains how the teacher, working with a mentor, rearranged the format of her classes to encourage more interactive activities, with translation activities used as review to prepare students for tests. This paper introduces the changes made over two cycles of the project, and suggests implications from the project which could be tested in other contexts, such as using outside mentors to help teachers to innovate, and focusing training experiences on getting teachers to experiment with CLT in their contexts.

DOI： 10.1080/17501229.2015.1088856

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

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