Plenary Sessions and Abstracts
Day 1
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Image Credit: 美術碩黃俊騰《靜謐時刻 》(第九屆師大之美得獎作品)
Plenary 1 Mediation of conceptual change in EMI disciplinary teaching: The case of advanced ecology
Abstract
This presentation reports on a study on the mediational tools used by the teacher to bring about conceptual change in an EMI Advanced Ecology course, focusing on the teaching of two key concepts: “ecological niche” and “ecological stability”. The study adopted an emic perspective of EMI classroom teaching, with the course instructor, P.J., acting as a participant co-researcher alongside two applied linguists. Data collected include lesson observations, lecture transcriptions and P.J.’s reflections on her own teaching. P.J.’s reflections on student engagement and the effectiveness of these tools were triangulated with students’ reflection journals and interviews. The findings revealed the following mediational tools: multimodal representations, exemplification, reflection journals, and peer scaffolding, Chinese-English knowledge co-construction and technical vocabulary unpacking. This presentation discusses students’ diverse experiences with these mediational tools and their impact on conceptual change. Based on these findings, we offer suggestions for effectively using mediational tools to foster conceptual change in EMI classrooms.
Amy B. M. Tsui is Yu-Shan Fellow and Chair professor of the English Department at National Taiwan Normal University and Professor Emerita at The University of Hong Kong (HKU). She is also former Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President at HKU during which she led the historic reform of undergraduate education across the university. She has published extensively on language policy, classroom discourse, conversational analysis, teacher development and teacher expertise. She obtained her PhD in linguistics at Birmingham University (U.K.) and was awarded Doctor of Education (honoris causa) by the University of Edinburgh (U.K.) in 2015, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to teaching and learning in higher education and her research excellence. For more information, see https://web.edu.hku.hk/faculty-academics/bmtsui.
Amy B. M. Tsui is Yu-Shan Fellow and Chair professor of the English Department at National Taiwan Normal University and Professor Emerita at The University of Hong Kong (HKU). She is also former Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President at HKU during which she led the historic reform of undergraduate education across the university. She has published extensively on language policy, classroom discourse, conversational analysis, teacher development and teacher expertise. She obtained her PhD in linguistics at Birmingham University (U.K.) and was awarded Doctor of Education (honoris causa) by the University of Edinburgh (U.K.) in 2015, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to teaching and learning in higher education and her research excellence. For more information, see https://web.edu.hku.hk/faculty-academics/bmtsui.
Pei-Jen Lee Shaner is Professor of Life Science at National Taiwan Normal University and a wildlife ecologist with 30 years of experience as a researcher. She got her PhD from University of Virginia in the USA and worked a few years there before she became a faculty member at National Taiwan Normal University in 2009. She mostly teaches in Chinese on the subjects such as ecology and biostatistics. In the past couple of years, she began teaching ecology in English. For more information, see https://scholar.lib.ntnu.edu.tw/en/persons/pei-jen-lee-shaner.
Plenary 2 Striving for artistic excellence and disciplinary knowledge: Multilingualism in classical music higher education in Austria
Abstract
Classical music higher education (CMHE) has a long-standing tradition of attracting students who come from all over the globe to study with a “maestro”. In addition to learning the technical skills required to become virtuoso artists, students need to acquire academic competence in the theoretical foundations of their discipline. In our case study, Austrian music university (‘AMU’), for instance, 40% of students are internationals. Nevertheless, the most recent AMU language policies confirm German as the default medium of education, while identifying English as a/the second academic language and supporting the use of other languages where the opportunity arises. Based on 12 semi-structured interviews with teachers, university management and international students, this project investigates the multilingual practices of teaching and learning. Supported by the voices of participating teachers, we interpret these reported experiences in relation to the function of language(s) in disciplinary knowledge construction at AMU.
Ute Smit is Professor of English Linguistics and Circle U. Academic Chair (Multilingualism, Interculturality, Language) at the University of Vienna, Austria. Her research focuses on English and multilingualism in and around the classroom in various educational settings. Her publications deal with EME (English Medium Education), CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), ELF (English as a lingua franca) and multilingualism in classroom discourse, language policies and practices. Ute is a member of various international projects and presently the chair of the ICLHE (Integrating Content and Language in Higher Education) Association. For more information see https://homepage.univie.ac.at/ute.smit/.
Miya Komori-Glatz is a Senior Lecturer in English Business Communication at WU Vienna University of Economics and Business, Austria. Her research examines English and multilingualism in a range of business and educational contexts, particularly English-medium education and internationalisation, teaching business communication and English as a business lingua franca. Her publications reflect this interdisciplinary focus, with papers in outlets ranging from Applied Linguistics to the European Journal of International Management. For more information see https://research.wu.ac.at/de/persons/miya-komori-glatz-4.
Plenary 3 Reimagining elderly care architecture through English medium instruction: The CARE LAB experience
Abstract
The CARE LAB project, conducted entirely through English Medium Instruction (EMI), stands as a pioneering educational initiative that merged the fields of linguistics and architecture to address elderly care during the COVID-19 pandemic. This multidisciplinary venture involved students and faculty from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds (Belglium and Russia) collaborating to design inclusive housing solutions for the elderly. The process underscored the dual role of language in both conveying complex technical content and serving as a tool for interdisciplinary learning and collaboration. This presentation explores the dynamics of learning architecture through EMI, reflecting on the linguistic strategies that enhanced understanding and the broader educational implications of such initiatives. Insights from participant feedback highlight the transformative potential of EMI in developing critical professional skills and advancing architectural innovation in the context of elderly care.
Samantha Curle (DPhil, FHEA, FRSA) is a Reader in Education (Applied Linguistics), Director of the MRes programme in Advanced Quantitative Research Methods (University of Bath), and Associate Member of the English Medium Instruction Oxford Research Group (University of Oxford). Her main research interest lies in factors affecting academic achievement in English Medium Instruction (EMI) in higher education. She has published five edited books on EMI. Her EMI-related research has been published in journals such as Language Teaching, Studies in Higher Education, Journal of Engineering Education, Journal of English for Academic Purposes, and Language Teaching Research. For more information, see https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/persons/samantha-curle.
Julie Walaszczyk works as an ICLHE Advisor and e-Learning Educational Developer for the Language and Internationalisation Unit (Faculty of Translation and Interpretation) at the University of Mons in Belgium. Since 2015 she has been supporting and facilitating evidence-informed teaching practices and approaches in EME courses for senior faculty professors, lecturers and teaching assistants across all academic disciplines. She has been actively involved in course (re)design of English-taught programmes at the Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy, Architecture, Psychology and Educational Sciences, Science and Engineering. Her current fields of interest include teacher training and CPD in ICLHE, internationalisation of the curriculum and horizontal internationalisation, inclusion and diversity in HE, multilingualism, technology in the classroom and innovative ICLHE teaching practices and assessment methods. For more information, see https://orbi.umons.ac.be/profile?uid=531854.
Chaima Seddiki is a lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Mons (UMONS) in Belgium. Her research focuses on the assessment and appropriation of the built heritage under protectorate/colonial rule in the Global South, more specifically in the Moroccan context.
She is a passionate teacher and has completed several training programs to enhance her dedication to sustainable education. Her educational philosophy emphasizes the social and human aspects of teaching, which she incorporates into architecture workshops.
She has been teaching undergraduate and graduate students for nine years and has been involved in many ICLHE initiatives by setting up international and interdisciplinary EME projects in partnership with the Language and Internationalisation Unit (UMONS), such as CARE LAB and Looking Beyond Borders. For more information, see https://staff.umons.ac.be/chaima.seddiki/.
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