Success in English Medium Instruction in China: significant indicators and implications

This article reports a mixed-methods study that investigates academic success in English Medium Instruction (EMI) at a Chinese state university. Questionnaire, exam score (n = 100), and semi-structured interview data (n = 29) was collected from second-year undergraduate students majoring in Business Management. Content-related language proficiency, perceived success, and motivation were explored as possible significant predictors of academic success in EMI. Business English proficiency was a statistically significant predictor, highlighting that students with a lower level of proficiency need supplementary linguistic support in order to fully succeed in their EMI studies. Language learning motivation did not predict academic success, echoing previous findings (Rose, H., S. Curle, I. Aizawa, and G. Thompson. 2019. What drives success in English medium taught courses? The interplay between language proficiency, academic skills, and motivation. Studies in Higher Education 0 (0): 1-13. doi:10.1080/03075079.2019.1590690). Perceived success in EMI did predict actual success in EMI, highlighting the need to enhance students' perceptions of their own ability to succeed in EMI. Qualitative data revealed that students' perceptions of success in EMI centred around content knowledge acquisition, improved English proficiency, knowledge application and transformation, and forming new modes of thinking. Practical implications for pedagogy are discussed.

Automated summary

This article reports on a study conducted at a Chinese state university that investigates the factors contributing to academic success in English Medium Instruction (EMI). The findings highlight the importance of business English proficiency as a predictor of success in EMI, while language learning motivation does not significantly impact academic success. Perceived success in EMI is found to be a significant predictor, emphasizing the importance of enhancing students' perceptions of their own ability to succeed in EMI.