The Implementation of Technology in Supporting English-Medium Instruction in Multilingual University Settings : A Case Study of Economics

Economics is a major course offered to undergraduate students enrolled in the financial mathematics programme at a Chinese English-medium instruction (EMI) university. This course is an example of cross-disciplinary instructional initiatives that integrate finance, economics, mathematical theory, statistics, and computer science through the medium of English to cultivate future global financial professionals. The course aims to deliver the fundamental principles of economic theories at both micro and macro levels, as well as to develop students’ critical thinking skills in analysing current global economic affairs. This study examines the use of digital technologies in the design and implementation of an economics course using EMI in a multilingual university setting. By conducting a focus-group discussion with students, an online questionnaire, class observation, and semi-structured interviews with instructors, the chapter explores how technology supports Chinese-speaking students to address language-related issues in learning practices such as lecture comprehension and the acquisition of discipline-specific vocabulary. Pedagogical suggestions are provided, including ways in which tertiary practitioners and policy makers can exploit digital tools to facilitate English-medium education in a multilingual environment. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.