Enhancing EMI pedagogical curricula to prepare pre-service English teachers for socioculturally diverse classrooms

Abstract

With the rise of English as a global academic lingua franca, the implementation of English medium instruction (EMI) in South Korea's higher education system has grown substantially. This mixed-methods study contributes to the scholarship on EMI policy and practice by drawing on data from the training experiences and self-assessment of 327 pre-service English teachers (PSETs) regarding their preparation to serve as secondary English teachers, the latter being key to high school students' achievement in higher education. We examine teachers' English competencies and explore their challenges and associated needs in implementing EMI for their professional success. Our quantitative analysis shows that, for PSETs, English-speaking skills are the most challenging aspect of learning and teaching English. Moreover, current opportunities to improve their English proficiency through EMI courses appear to be inadequate. Subsequent analysis shows that English proficiency serves as a significant mediator of the association between EMI satisfaction and self-efficacy about teaching English through English. Our qualitative analysis further confirms that PSETs have less exposure than expected to language-related resources in their educational context, and they express a need for greater knowledge of student well-being and linguistic and cultural diversity. We provide a set of recommendations to enhance the quality of EMI policies and curricula, including offering tailored language modules to develop well-qualified secondary English teachers.