Eksperci dla FRSE

In many contexts in higher education, there is an increasing trend for institutions to offer courses with English as the medium of instruction (EMI), which presents particular challenges for the prospective teacher. This case study tracks five university lecturers in Poland preparing to Begin teaching EMI courses. A course to support their English was offered as part of a project to develop the teaching competences of University staff. Based on data from transcripts of interviews and questionnaires, the study investigates the relationship between how the teachers teach in their own language and in English, the decision-making process as they plan an EMI course, their perception of the language course, and whether the move towards EMI enhances the overall quality of their teaching. The findings demonstrate that the preparation process to start EMI is highly individual. Deciding what to teach and how is a complex process related to the participant’s self-efficacy in English and their concerns about student response and language skills. The course planning has promoted deep reflection on the teaching/learning process. There are suggestions that this will also bring about changes in teaching in the national language. In short, the move towards EMI has the potential for raising quality in teacher education.

Keywords:
English-medium instruction, planning process, self-efficacy, teaching quality

The article is a chapter of the publication: Studies on Quality Teachers and Quality In-service Teacher Education.