Medium of Instruction and English Language Teaching Strategies

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Medium of Instruction and English Language
Teaching Strategies

• HKUGA Seminar
• 16 May 2009

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Fallacies

• HK has a unique problem in its MOI policy
  educational, political, social and economic
  agendas
• Bilingual education means English immersion
  education
• More exposure to English ? better English
• EMI students outperform CMI students in English
  as well as in other subjects, therefore EMI is
  better than CMI
• Use of mixed code by proficient speakers of
  English vs by learners of English
• Streaming according to MOI has a labeling effect

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A Longitudinal Study on Impact of MOI on
Self-Perception and Learning Strategies Sampling
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General Self Concept MOI(Comparable Groups
high ability)
Mean scores of general self concept between CMI
and EMI students (high ability) across 3 years.
(Total no. of Ss 841)
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General Self Concept MOI(Comparable Groups
average ability)
Mean scores of general self concept between CMI
and EMI students (average ability) across 3
years. (Total no. of Ss 326)
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Extrinsic Motivation MOI (Comparable Groups
high ability)
Mean scores of extrinsic motivation scores
between CMI and EMI students (high ability)
across 3 years (Total no. of Ss 841)
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Extrinsic Motivation MOI (Comparable Groups
average ability)
Mean scores of extrinsic motivation scores
between CMI and EMI students (average ability)
across 3 years (Total no. of Ss 326)
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Intrinsic Motivation MOI (Comparable Groups
high ability)
Mean scores of intrinsic motivation scores
between CMI and EMI students (high ability)
across 3 years (Total no. of Ss 841)
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Intrinsic Motivation MOI (Comparable Groups
average ability)
Mean scores of intrinsic motivation scores
between CMI and EMI students (average ability)
across 3 years (Total no. of Ss 326)
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Learning Strategies Critical Thinking
(Comparable Groups high ability
Mean scores of critical thinking between CMI and
EMI students (high ability) across 3 years (Total
no. of Ss 841)
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Learning Strategies Critical Thinking
(Comparable Groups average ability)
Mean scores of critical thinking between CMI and
EMI students (average ability) across 3 years
(Total no. of Ss 326)
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Learning Strategies Meta-cognitive Strategies
(Comparable Groups average ability)
Mean scores of meta-cognitive strategies between
CMI and EMI students (average ability) across 3
years (Total no. of Ss 326)
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Learning Strategies Meta-cognitive Strategies
(Comparable Groups high ability)
Mean scores of meta-cognitive strategies between
CMI and EMI students (high ability) across 3
years (Total no. of Ss 841)
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MOI Policy

• Conditions for Using English as MOI
• Students English proficiency and academic
  ability
• Teachers English competence
• Appropriate language support resources

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Lived Experience of Schools

• English proficiency of content teachers
• Quality control of curriculum materials
• Collaboration between content and English
  teachers
• Maximization of opportunities and resources for
  learning outside the formal curriculum
• Integration of formal and informal curricula

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Facilitating Conditions and Strategies for
Effective EL Teaching Learning in EMI CMI
Schools Findings of Case Studies of Good
Practices in ELT in EMI CMI Schools

• A positive, non-threatening and collaborative
  school culture for risk-taking
• Involvement of all stakeholders all teachers,
  librarian, parents and students
• Flexibility in the English curriculum
• Maximisation of opportunities and resources for
  learning English library, students as a resource
  for learning
• Integration of the formal and informal curricula
• Provision of scaffolding distal and proximal

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Focusing on Language in Content Teaching

• Content teachers awareness and mastery of
  discipline specific genre
• Content obligatory language vs content
  complementary language
• Relationship between Content Obligatory language
  form and meaning making in the discipline

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Deconstructing Scientific Language

• Neutralization is a process by which an acid is
  added to an alkali until it become neutral or
  vice versa. The products are salt and water.
• Neutralisation is a process Acid neutralises an
  alkali or vice versa Acid is added to an alkali
  until it becomes neutral
• what is an acid and what is an alkali
• what is a process
• -ION indicates a process
• meaning of neutral
• neutralizes and neutralized by
• what is a salt
• pH value
• How does adding acid to alkali or vice versa
  result in salt and water?

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Neglected Aspects

• Two types of language competence English for
  interpersonal interaction vs English for academic
  study
• Disparity between English curriculum and the use
  of English for learning content
• Transition from secondary to university learning

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Concluding Remarks

• Formulation of MOI policy by government is a
  political balancing act worldwide
• As educators, the educational benefits of our
  students should always be the first and foremost
  consideration when we make decisions on MOI in
  schools.

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References

• For a report on the longitudinal study on
  self-perception and learning strategies of HK
  students, see
• Sallili, F. Tsui, A. B. M. (2005). The Effects
  of Medium of Instruction on Students Motivation
  and Learning. In Rumjahn Hoosain Farideh Salili
  (Eds.), Language in Multicultural Education (pp.
  135-156). Research in Multicultural Education and
  International Perspectives, Volume 4. Greenwich
  CT Information Age Publishing (IAP).
• For good practices in ELT in CMI and EMI schools,
  see
• Telenex.hku.hk or EdB website
• For MOI policy issues in HK and other parts of
  the world, see Tsui and Tollefson (2007) and
  Tollefson and Tsui (2004) (see next slide)

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Amy B. M. Tsui James W. Tollefson (Eds.) (2007)
Language Culture and Identity in Asian Contexts.
Mahwah, N.J. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
James W. Tollefson Amy B. M. Tsui (Eds.) (2004)
Medium of Instruction Policies Whose Agenda?
Which Agenda? Mahwah, N.J. Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates.
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• Thank You