English-medium instruction as an internationalisation strategy at a second-tier Chinese University: instructors’ challenges and their shaping factors

Abstract

Joining the tide of global internationalisation of higher education, Chinese universities have embraced English-medium instruction (EMI) as a strategic response. The adoption of EMI is to comply with government mandates and for institutional survival, as it will increase the international ranking and bring in more income from international students. The switch of medium of instruction and pedagogical issues arising therefrom have drawn considerable scholarly attention. However, little attention has been paid to the implementation of EMI in second- or mid-tier universities, and, particularly, to the attendant pedagogical issues. In comparison to top-tier universities, second-tier universities’ instructors must deal with amplified tensions created between the pedagogical needs and institutional requirements brought by the EMI policy. This study seeks to shed light on the challenges, and their contributing factors, confronted by educators in these universities. Employing a language policy analysis framework informed by policy enactment theory, the research draws upon an examination of both national and institutional policy documents, as well as interviews conducted with nine educators and administrative leaders across three distinct faculties. The investigation reveals that the emergent challenges in implementing EMI stem from several sources, including lax admission standards for international students and the divergent backgrounds and requirements of local versus international student populations. These findings underscore the imperative for a thorough appraisal of contextual nuances before the formulation and implementation of language-in-education policies. This is particularly salient in second-tier academic institutions, which often grapple with limited resources and may not possess the same level of preparedness to adapt their systems as swiftly as their more resourced counterparts.