Search Results (69)

Adolescents in international secondary schools develop their social lives across culturally diverse campuses and digitally connected peer networks. Although friendship quality, social media use, and adolescent well-being have each received substantial attention, the mechanisms through which offline and online social experiences jointly relate to social well-being remain conceptually fragmented. This structured conceptual review develops an integrated framework for international secondary school students in Malaysia. The framework is informed by the relatedness branch of Self-Determination Theory and the resource-exchange logic of Social Exchange Theory and proposes that peer relationship quality and meaningful social media use relate to social well-being via relatedness need satisfaction, perceived social support, and psychological resilience. Gender and cultural identity are conceptualised as contextual moderators rather than universal determinants. The review employs a transparent, purposive search and synthesis process, and differentiates the framework from previous reviews on friendship quality, social media use, or Self-Determination Theory as isolated constructs. This paper contributes by integrating offline and online social contexts, elucidating complementary motivational, resource and adaptive pathways, and situating these relationships within Malaysian international schools, where foreign curricula, English medium instruction, mixed nationalities, student mobility and cultural identity negotiation may shift the salience and strength of otherwise general adolescent mechanisms. The propositions are untested and are therefore offered as theoretically grounded expectations rather than empirical conclusions. The framework offers a focused agenda for longitudinal, multilevel, cross-cultural and intervention research and offers cautious guidance for school-based belonging, peer-support, resilience and digital citizenship initiatives. Full article

Freedom and choice are often presented as benefits of transnational higher education, but participants in this study also described freedom as something they had to learn to manage. This article examines that tension through a qualitative case study of one Sino-British university. It draws on 12 Chinese-language semi-structured interviews analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, together with a separate qualitative analysis of public institutional materials. Participants valued having room to make their own decisions, although some recalled early uncertainty when direct supervision was reduced. Competition did not disappear; it became harder to read and extended beyond grades to internships, research experience, postgraduate applications and employment. Participants generally knew that support existed, but it often became useful only after they recognised a problem and asked for help. Their accounts therefore described academic, linguistic, relational and career self-management. Several participants also described using generative artificial intelligence (AI) to understand course content, translate material and prepare for assessment, although AI-related material was uneven across the interviews and included concerns about accuracy, disciplinary fit and independent judgement. We use institutionalised autonomy to describe how arrangements that widen discretion can also shift planning, help seeking and risk judgement towards students. The concept is offered as a context-specific specification of responsibilisation rather than a general theory. This single case is not statistically representative, but it identifies a mechanism that can be examined in other transnational settings. Full article

The rapid expansion of English-medium instruction (EMI) in transnational education (TNE) has increased the need for evidence-based higher education (HE) curriculum models that support diverse student cohorts in cross-cultural contexts. This exploratory mixed-methods study examines the effectiveness of block models in EMI TNE partnerships by comparing English as an additional language/dialect (EAL/D) student outcomes across traditional semester-based models and immersive block-model delivery in China and Papua New Guinea, and by exploring students’ block-model experiences. Retrospective institutional data on student success (N = 8974) and satisfaction (N = 2067) were analysed alongside focus group data on student experiences. Findings indicate that the block model is associated with significantly higher student success rates in China (76.3–92.2%) and Papua New Guinea (57.3–72.1%; both p < 0.001), while satisfaction remained high and increased significantly in China. In addition, students perceive the model as fostering self-discipline, autonomous learning, and collaborative skills. This study extends the limited evidence base on curriculum innovation in English-medium transnational higher education, indicating that immersive block models can support positive student outcomes while highlighting the importance of local implementation conditions in shaping students’ experiences. Implications emphasise the need for consistent operationalisation of the block model and pedagogical scaffolding to optimise effectiveness in cross-cultural higher education settings. Full article

Gender has often been overlooked in tertiary English medium instruction (EMI) research. To address this gap, the present study investigates whether gender plays a role in EMI lecture comprehension challenges. The study included 37 participants (21 female and 16 male) who attended EMI lectures in a variety of subjects. Participants used a foot pedal to “time-stamp” comprehension challenges in real time during lectures. After the lectures, students joined stimulated recall interviews guided by the time stamps, where they re-watched time-stamped portions of lecture videos and explained reasons for non-comprehension. Results showed that gender did not play a statistically significant role in relation to a majority of the comprehension challenges, with the exception of top-down >> content-related, where females were more likely to report issues such as lack of prior content knowledge than males. Based on the findings, commentary about the role of gender in EMI and in relation to various language skills is provided. Full article

In the Philippines, most children speak regional languages like Ilokano, Cebuano, and Hiligaynon as their first language (L1), but they have historically been schooled in English and Tagalog (i.e., Filipino). In 2012, the Department of Education (DepEd) institutionalized Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTBMLE), designating regional/local languages as the primary medium of instruction in the early grades. Despite this major policy shift, data on how it affected children of different linguistic and ethnic backgrounds remain scarce. This study addresses that gap by examining the effects of language-of-instruction (LOI) policy, child L1, and parental ethnicity on Grade 1 academic achievement in San Fernando, La Union—a multilingual city where Ilokano is the predominant language of the community and Ilocos Region. This quasi-experimental pre–post cohort comparison leverages an exogenous policy change to analyze data from 3002 Grade 1 students across 10 urban public schools in two consecutive school years: the last year of the old English–Filipino bilingual policy (SY 2011–2012) and the first year of MTBMLE (SY 2012–2013). Ordinary least squares and mixed-effects linear regression models estimate the effects of LOI policy, child L1, parental ethnicity, and their interactions on achievement scores. Under the old L2-oriented bilingual policy, L1 Ilokano children (the demographic majority) achieved significantly lower academic ratings than their L1 Tagalog peers, with an estimated gap of approximately 1.17–2.13 points (up to 0.5 standard deviations). Within one year of MTBMLE implementation, this gap decreased to just 0.10–0.18 points (less than 0.1 SD), driven primarily by an increase in Ilokano-speaking children’s achievement across all subjects. Parental ethnicity moderates these effects: children with at least one Ilokano parent showed greater achievement gains under MTBMLE than children with no Ilokano parents, but having one Ilokano parent was more advantageous than two. This suggests that multilingual home environments influence outcomes in complex ways. Overall, the findings provide empirical support for MTBMLE’s positive impact on educational outcomes and equity, observable even within the first year of implementation. They carry urgent implications as the Philippine government has suspended the policy under Republic Act 12027 of 2024. Policymakers are urged to disaggregate educational achievement data by children’s home languages, and incorporate L1s in instruction, assessment, and program evaluation. Full article

This study investigates the effectiveness of peer assessment as a formative learning strategy in multilingual English-Medium Instruction (EMI) higher education. Although peer assessment is widely associated with enhanced learner engagement, self-regulation, and feedback literacy, its implementation in linguistically diverse EMI settings remains insufficiently explored. Addressing this gap, the study examines students’ perceptions of peer assessment, the degree of alignment between peer and instructor evaluations, and students’ reflective experiences in a multilingual university context. A mixed-methods design was employed with 60 undergraduate students enrolled in EMI courses at South East European University in North Macedonia. Quantitative data were collected through a structured questionnaire and peer-assessment rubric, while qualitative data were obtained from reflective interviews with 37 students. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and paired-samples t-tests, whereas qualitative responses were examined through thematic analysis. The findings reveal generally positive student perceptions of peer assessment, particularly regarding self-reflection, critical thinking, collaboration, and confidence in evaluating academic work. Significant positive correlations among key dimensions of feedback literacy suggest that peer assessment supports interconnected cognitive and metacognitive learning processes. Although a statistically significant difference emerged between peer and instructor scores, overall agreement was moderate, with students tending to assign slightly lower marks than instructors. Qualitative findings further indicate that peer assessment enhanced students’ understanding of assessment criteria and learning processes while also exposing challenges related to language proficiency, emotional discomfort, and concerns about feedback accuracy. The study demonstrates that peer assessment can be an effective pedagogical approach in multilingual EMI classrooms when supported by clear assessment criteria, structured guidance, and feedback training. These findings contribute to research on feedback literacy, formative assessment, and multilingual learning in higher education. Full article

Subtitles often attract visual attention even when they are not necessary for comprehension. In the present eye-tracking experiment, we examined whether attention to subtitles in instructional videos varies as a function of audio–subtitle language–script pairing in Hindi–English bilinguals with an English-medium instruction (EMI) background. Native Hindi participants viewed videos in three conditions: English audio with English subtitles (L2–L2), Hindi audio with Hindi subtitles (L1–L1), and English audio with Hindi subtitles (L2–L1). In the L2–L2 condition, gaze was distributed similarly across speakers’ faces and subtitles. In contrast, in both Hindi-subtitle formats, viewers allocated more dwell time to the speakers’ faces than to the subtitles. Comprehension scores did not differ significantly across conditions. These findings suggest that subtitle engagement among EMI bilinguals is not solely determined by the presence of subtitles but is also modulated by the properties and perceived utility of the written channel. More generally, our results caution against the view that subtitle engagement is uniformly automatic across multilingual instructional settings. Full article

Academic emotions constitute a central component of students’ learning processes and overall academic satisfaction. Within English-Medium Instruction (EMI) contexts, learning through a foreign language may modulate students’ emotional experiences in complex ways. However, limited research has examined emotional profiles among students enrolled in EMI programmes. This study adopts a person-centred approach to identify emotional profiles based on students’ achievement emotions and to examine whether these profiles differ in terms of learning satisfaction. Participants were 128 undergraduate students enrolled in a bilingual degree programme at a Spanish university. Emotions were measured using the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire—Short Version (AEQ-S), and a k-means cluster analysis was conducted. The results revealed two distinct profiles: a more adaptive emotional profile, characterized by higher levels of enjoyment, hope, and pride, and a negative emotional profile, marked by higher levels of anger, anxiety, shame, hopelessness, and boredom. Students in the adaptive profile reported significantly higher levels of satisfaction, with a large effect size. No significant association was found between emotional profiles and students’ self-reported English proficiency, gender, and academic year. These findings suggest that fostering positive emotions—particularly enjoyment—and reducing deactivating negative emotions such as boredom and hopelessness may be key to enhancing student satisfaction in EMI programmes. Educators and institutions are encouraged to design emotionally supportive learning environments, going beyond a sole focus on language proficiency. Full article

The rapid expansion of English Medium Instruction (EMI) and Transnational Education (TNE) is reshaping higher education in non-Anglophone contexts. As English-taught programmes and cross-border partnerships proliferate, universities face heightened linguistic and academic demands, positioning English for Academic Purposes (EAP) as central to the university’s internationalisation agenda. Against this backdrop, understanding how language support is conceptualised and operationalised within EMI and TNE contexts is critical, given the increasing reliance on English as the medium through which these agendas are realised. However, there remains limited empirical understanding of how EAP teachers experience these shifting demands and how their roles are being reconfigured within EMI- and TNE-driven reforms. This study investigates professional development (PD) initiatives for EAP teachers in China, where EMI and TNE are rapidly expanding. Document analysis of teachers’ PD documents (n = 10) and interviews with EAP teachers (n = 20) and PD leads (n = 5) across 13 EMI institutions reveal a lack of EAP-specific training, persistent structural constraints, limited recognition within the institution, and uneven access to development pathways for EAP teachers. It highlights the need for systemic change to address the marginalisation of EAP expertise, amidst the changing higher education landscape. Positioning EAP practitioners as central to EMI and TNE policy implementation can help ensure higher education internationalisation initiatives do not remain superficial, largely symbolic and short-sighted. Full article

International students at English-medium universities in Australia whose first language is not English often struggle with language learning due to challenges sustaining motivation and managing anxiety, while simultaneously needing to strengthen their English skills to succeed academically and fully engage in university life. Although serious games are increasingly used in second-language education, many are not explicitly grounded in established pedagogical strategy frameworks, and grammar-focused serious board games remain underrepresented. In response, this study designed a strategy-embedded serious board game (The Pyramid of Time) that integrates Oxford’s indirect Language Learning Strategies to support grammar-focused practice. Following a Design Thinking process informed by desk-based evidence and refined through two rounds of playtesting, the final prototype was evaluated in a single-session, between-subjects quasi-experiment with 64 international L2 English students studying in Australian English-medium universities, comparing a collaborative board-game condition with an individual textbook self-study condition. Outcomes were assessed using pre- and post-measures of grammar test performance, language learning motivation, and grammar-learning anxiety. The strategy-embedded, collaborative game-based condition showed larger short-term gains in grammar test performance and more favourable changes in motivation and anxiety than the individual textbook self-study condition. An exploratory bootstrapped mediation analysis was consistent with an indirect pattern in which anxiety reduction related to grammar gains primarily via increased motivation, although evidence was modest. Findings provide initial support for theory-informed, strategy-embedded game-based instruction as a promising approach for grammar-focused practice that also improves learners’ short-term motivational and affective experiences. These results should be interpreted in light of differences in instructional format, collaborative structure, and time-on-task across conditions. Full article

This meta-analysis investigates the outcomes associated with ChatGPT-integrated English instruction on non-linguistic outcomes in South Korea. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, 22 experimental studies (k = 26, N = 1303) were synthesized using a random-effects model, which revealed a significant medium overall effect size (g = 0.55). Subgroup analyses showed medium-to-large effects in Affective (g = 0.67) and AI Literacy (g = 0.59) domains, but a small effect on Cognitive/Metacognitive outcomes (g = 0.17). Moderator analyses (e.g., educational level, duration) yielded no significant differences, suggesting a meaningful overall trend across contexts. However, the descriptive disparity between affective gains and cognitive growth indicates an ‘Affective–Cognitive Gap.’ Findings suggest that while ChatGPT is associated with a reduction in psychological barriers—partly by reducing mental effort—it may lead to ‘cognitive offloading’ without intentional pedagogical scaffolding. The study concludes that mere tool adoption is insufficient. To prevent a ‘plateau effect’ after the initial novelty wears off, instruction must evolve from passive use to ‘agentic engagement’ through structured metacognitive routines. These results emphasize the necessity of teacher-mediated integration to repurpose AI-afforded efficiency toward higher-order evaluative and critical thinking tasks. Full article

This study examined how cultural background and self-reported gender influence student–faculty email communication in English-Medium Instruction (EMI) settings. Advanced international language learners (N = 113) wrote emails in English to either Korean or international professors without prior instruction. The emails were analyzed for framing elements and request strategies using holistic assessment. The findings revealed significant patterns in formality and strategy use based on professor nationality and student gender. Emails to Korean professors exhibited higher formality levels, especially among students with better framing appropriateness scores. Cultural differences emerged in request strategies: international students favored performative requests, while Korean students preferred disarmers. Self-reported gender also correlated with different framing strategies, particularly when communicating with Korean professors. These findings highlight the complex interaction among culture, gender, and pragmatic awareness in EMI academic correspondence. The study underscores the importance of understanding cross-cultural communication patterns in diverse educational environments and suggests the need for further research into multilingual communication practices in higher education to better support international student populations. Full article

As the English language spreads worldwide, debate has intensified over introducing it early in multilingual school systems. In the Arab world, this question is especially sensitive because Arabic is closely linked to cultural and religious identity, and early English policies may shift the language balance in primary education. This review synthesizes 31 peer-reviewed studies on childhood English learning and early English teaching practices, addressing key aspects of age of acquisition, bilingual outcomes, and language maintenance or identity. Using transparent search and selection reporting, we examined studies published between 2000 and 2025. Findings cluster around four themes: age of acquisition, mother-tongue maintenance and identity, teacher preparation and pedagogy, and social outcomes. The evidence from the review shows that earlier exposure can support pronunciation, fluency, and metalinguistic awareness, but the strength and direction of these gains depend primarily on program quality and bilingual model design. Additive approaches that maintain and value Arabic literacy while providing rich, high-quality English input are often associated with better learning outcomes than subtractive arrangements that reduce Arabic use. However, effects vary by context and implementation quality. Where Arabic is reduced without adequate support, learners may face risks such as weaker first-language development and heightened identity-related strain. However, these outcomes are not inevitable and are moderated by factors such as teacher preparation, instructional design, and school–home language support. We propose a balanced early-English design that builds progressive English proficiency while maintaining continuous Arabic-medium literacy, supported by targeted teacher professional development, family and community engagement, and continuous Arabic-medium literacy. The review concludes with policy and practice implications for curriculum designers, school leaders, and decision-makers, and calls for longitudinal, classroom-based research on identity trajectories and English-medium instruction in Arab primary education. Full article

English-Medium Instruction (EMI) has become a central component of globalized education, allowing institutions to deliver courses in English to improve international competitiveness and accessibility for teachers and students. This paper reports the perspectives of five faculty members from a northern Taiwan private university who participated in an overseas short-term teacher training program at a Southern California State University, the United States, in 2025, aimed at enhancing their professional knowledge and teaching strategies in EMI. A qualitative research approach was adopted, including using the five semi-structured written open-ended questions and a focus group interview. This study captures insights of teachers into the professional development, instructional challenges, subject knowledge, language awareness, pedagogical shifts experienced, and self-reflection by these faculty members. Findings highlight the perceived impact of the professional development training on teachers’ language proficiency, pedagogical teaching skills in EMI, language awareness, intercultural communication competence, and the broader implications for EMI in Taiwanese higher education. Full article

Developing research skills and academic literacy is essential for student success, yet their progression often varies across multilingual higher education systems. This study investigates these competencies among 692 bachelor’s and master’s students in Kazakhstan’s trilingual higher education context, where Kazakh, Russian, and English serve as languages of instruction. The contributions of multilingual academic practices, language of instruction, reading proficiency in three languages, peer collaboration, teacher facilitation, learner autonomy, and academic performance were examined using hierarchical regression and cumulative logit models. Results show that multilingual academic practices emerged as the strongest and most consistent predictor of both research skills (β = 0.56) and academic literacy (β = 0.69), explaining 38% and 49% of variance respectively and clearly outperforming medium of instruction, single-language reading proficiency, and programme level. Peer collaboration, teacher facilitation, and academic performance emerged as the most powerful predictors of students’ overall self-assessed research competence. The findings position multilingualism as both linguistic and cognitive resource, offering implications for curriculum design, staff training, and multilingual research-based learning in higher education. The study advances international scholarship on multilingual higher education. Full article