Challenge or Opportunity? A case study of Science teachers and students in coping with their language challenges in English-medium Instruction (EMI) classrooms

Teaching science through English is a growing phenomenon around the world. In this presentation, I will discuss the latest research into the English medium of instruction (EMI) and the challenges that teachers and students face when learning science through English in many cultural contexts. In particular, a study in Hong Kong that explores the teaching and learning process in EMI science classrooms (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) from 8 secondary schools will be reported. Drawing the multiple sources of data from semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and 34 hours of video-recorded classroom observations of 19 teachers and 545 students, the patterns of classroom interactions (turn-taking, ratio of talk, language choices, question types) in both traditional (or early-full) EMI vs MOI-switching (or late-partial) schools (switching from L1 Cantonese to L2 English), between Grades 10 and 11 in both schools are explored. The teachers' and students' perceptions of EMI teaching and learning process including their views on EMI, choices of classroom language, language challenges, and coping strategies will also be investigated. By providing an evidence-based, detailed analysis of authentic classroom interactions, this research hopefully sheds light on ways for improving the quality of instructional practices in different EMI classrooms worldwide.