Extrapolating from an Inquiry into Curricular Issues Concerning the Adoption of English as Medium of Instruction in a Japanese University Situation

Abstract

Japanese universities have lately begun to teach academic content in English instead of Japanese. In this article, I examine curricular and ideological issues related to having English as a medium of instruction (EMI) at a Japanese university before examining their links to larger cultural-political forces in Japan, including neoconservative agendas. My discussion is framed within the setting of a Japanese higher education facing the challenges of: (1) low enrolments and institutional solvency; (2) curricular reform in keeping with the need for institutional renewal. Specifically, based on a critical narrative inquiry into a workplace encounter involving two university courses, one in introductory psychology and another in English for Academic Purposes (EAP), I will explore the ideologically-embedded nature of discourses affecting professional understandings of language, meaning making and curriculum. I will also observe that the 'changes' resulting from the adoption of EMI are only superficial and that the role and status of English, in reality, remains circumscribed.Key words: Academic content; medium of instruction; ideology; policy. Extrapolación de la investigación a los asuntos curriculares relacionados con la adopción del inglés como medio de instrucción en un contexto universitario japonés ResumenLas universidades japonesas últimamente han comenzado a enseñar contenido académico en inglés en lugar de japonés. En este artículo, se examinan los asuntos curriculares e ideológicos relacionados con el hecho de tener el inglés como medio de instrucción (IMI) en una universidad japonesa, para pasar luego a examinar sus conexiones con las fuerzas político-culturales en Japón, incluyendo las agendas neoconservadoras. La discusión está enmarcada dentro del contexto de la educación universitaria japonesa, que enfrenta las siguientes problemá-ticas: (1) el bajo número de estudiantes matriculados y la solvencia institucional; (2) la reforma curricular en respuesta a la necesidad de una renovación institucional. A partir de una investigación narrativa crítica en un contexto de trabajo que involucra dos cursos universitarios, uno de Introducción a la Psicología y otro de Inglés con Propósitos Académicos (IPA), se explora, a su vez, la naturaleza profundamente ideológica del discurso que afecta la comprensión profesional del lenguaje, la construcción del significado y el currículo. También se aclara que los 'cambios' resultantes de la adopción de IMI son solamente superficiales y que el papel y el estatus del inglés, en realidad, permanecen restringidos.Palabras claves: contenido académico; medio de instrucción; ideología; política. Extrapolating from an Inquiry into Curricular Issues Concerning the Adoption of English as Medium...Extrapolação da pesquisa sobre os assuntos curriculares relacionados com a adoção de inglês como meio de instrução num contexto universitário japonês ResumoAs universidades japonesas têm começado a ensinar conteúdo acadêmico em inglês em vez de japonês. Neste artigo, são analisados os ...

Is CLIL becoming a hub connecting research, policy, and practice?

“…In the current issue, Yang, (2016) looks at the learning efficacy, management difficulties, and improvements in 12 tertiary-level CLILbased programs in Taiwan, revealing that learner satisfaction with the CLIL approach is greatly affected by learners' language proficiency, as well as providing numerous insights into the current situation of CLIL in Taiwan where there are excellent possibilities for making curricular changes to content and foreign language curricula. Also dealing with the implementation of CLIL in Asia in this issue, Toh, (2016) examines both the curricular and ideological issues surrounding English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) at a Japanese university, considering whether they are viable options at this level, and finding that EMI/ EAP approaches lack true opportunities for academic inquiry (Toh, 2016).…”

Language and Content in Higher Education

“…Numerous pedagogical approaches and methodologies have sought to address both language and content in higher educational settings, including Content-Based Instruction (CBI) (Costa & Coleman, 2010;McDougald, 2007a), English-Mediated Instruction (EMI) (Corrales, Paba Rey, Lourdes, & Escamilla, 2016;Toh, 2016), English for Academic Purposes (EAP) (Evans & Morrison, 2011;Tatzl, 2011), Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) (Carloni, 2013a;Chostelidou & Griva, 2014; …”