English-Medium Content Courses: Student Approaches and Strategies to Increase Comprehension Levels

Darrell Wilkinson

Abstract


Taking English-medium content courses is very challenging for non-native speakers of English. A number of factors contribute to the difficulty including the rate of speech that the lectures are delivered at, the technical vocabulary used, and the fact that the content itself is often difficult to comprehend in one native language let alone in a foreign language. This research investigates the strategies and approaches that first-year Japanese university students use in order to successfully understand and take part in an English-medium economics course. Qualitative research including observations, interviews, surveys and document checking were used to investigate the research questions. Data analysis showed that students used a number of strategies and approaches but preferred the use of pre-prepared outlines, and post-class peer discussions in order to better understand the content of the lecturers. The results can serve as a guide for anyone involved in English-medium content course design, especially those who wish to offer specific support to non-native speakers taking courses in a foreign language.

Keywords


content-based instruction; student strategies; English-medium instruction; language integrated learning

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