English-medium Instruction at University in China – A Case Study

Abstract

The wholesale expansion of English-medium instruction, especially in higher education in China, has highlighted the gap between what is said and what the reality is in the classroom.  English language proficiency expectations add complexity to a milieu where many teachers began their careers teaching in the one of the Chinese languages and many students come from a school environment where heavy emphasis was placed on rote learning. What, then, has this meant for teachers and students? This paper aims to illustrate the challenges of a mainland Chinese university to acquire a strong local academic identity and profile to answer the needs of a knowledge-based society driven by globalisation. The central aim of this study is to critically explore the perspectives of both English language and subject-specific teachers participating in this English as medium of instruction reform. Opportunities and challenges are identified, with recommendations for future practice being made.  Amongst the main challenges identified are a top-down approach to English as a medium of instruction reform and the increasing presence of foreign ‘experts’ in education in the country. Yet, internationalization of universities presents an opportunity for China to be at the vanguard of higher education reform.