Aug 2026· Journal for Multicultural Education· 0 citations· 24 references
Abstract
This study examines how lecturers in a Brazilian public university perceive English-medium instruction (EMI) and the development of intercultural competence (IC) within their teaching. It aims to understand the importance they assign to IC, the challenges they encounter and the types of institutional support they consider necessary for integrating IC into EMI.
This study draws on data from an online questionnaire completed by 31 lecturers across multiple disciplinary fields. Closed-ended items generated descriptive statistics on language use and proficiency, while open-ended responses underwent qualitative content analysis, combining deductive and inductive coding procedures. The instrument was part of a larger project that collected comparable data in Brazil and Portugal.
EMI use was selective and concentrated in course materials, readings and slides rather than full English-medium course delivery. Lecturers identified insufficient English proficiency, lack of training, limited institutional policies and restricted opportunities for intercultural exposure as major barriers. They viewed IC as a multidimensional competence encompassing educational, social and professional dimensions. Participants emphasized the need for continuous pedagogical training, sustained language support and institutional recognition of EMI- and IC-related work.
Findings highlight the urgency of coordinated institutional policies, integrated EMI–IC professional development, expanded language support and opportunities for intercultural engagement to sustain EMI initiatives in Brazilian higher education.
This study provides one of the few empirical examinations of how Brazilian lecturers conceptualize IC within EMI practice. It offers context-specific insights into how structural inequalities and limited institutional frameworks shape EMI adoption in public, tuition-free systems.
In recent years, there has been an increasing demand to make students interculturally competent, preparing them to become global citizens. Individuals must have relevant intercultural and communicative competencies to function effectively in multicultural and multilingual environments. One common way to enhance intercultural competence (IC) is through teaching a foreign language (FL). FL teachers promote the acquisition of intercultural competence through a range of teaching materials and techniques; however, there is insufficient research documenting their experiences. This paper explores teachers’ beliefs and practices regarding the integration of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) among adult FL learners. 60 FL instructors from 17 countries, who taught 16 FLs at 29 universities and colleges across the USA, participated in this study. Data were collected through a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with educators, which were analyzed using a mixed-methods approach. The Likert-scale items were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and the open-ended responses were analyzed using thematic analysis. Byram’s (2020) ICC framework was applied for analyzing the data, suggesting that educators explore all the ICC dimensions, including knowledge, discovery skills, interaction skills, interpreting and relating skills, and critical cultural awareness, to simulate conditions that encourage learners to practice communicating in multilingual and multicultural settings. Respondents reported that learners’ knowledge of the FL culture plays a significant role in their success in learning the target language. They also observed that the use of intercultural input enhanced FL learners’ pragmatic understanding, vocabulary, and speech production. Consequently, they frequently use cultural themes in instructional materials and assessments, which they believe have helped develop learners' overall FL skills.
Pankaj Narke· Journal of International Stu...· 0 citations
English oral proficiency is one of the most complex competencies to cultivate in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) setting, particularly within educational systems that offer limited opportunities for genuine communication. Although numerous studies have identified foreign language anxiety, pedagogical practices, and language exposure as factors linked to oral performance, there is still insufficient evidence regarding the interplay of these determinants among secondary school students in Ecuador. The aim of this research was to examine the psychological, pedagogical, and contextual elements influencing the English oral proficiency of first-year high school students at the Alfonso Quiñónez George Educational Unit in Esmeraldas, Ecuador. A qualitative, descriptive approach was employed, utilizing semi-structured interviews, non-participant classroom observation, and focus groups as primary data collection techniques. The data underwent thematic analysis and methodological triangulation to strengthen the reliability of the findings. The results indicated that anxiety associated with using English is the primary obstacle to oral communication, while pedagogical practices focused on grammar instruction and limited exposure to the language outside the academic setting restrict opportunities for communicative interaction. Empirical evidence demonstrated that these elements operate interdependently, creating an environment that shapes the development of oral proficiency.
Rosa María Dolores Galarza Arreaga, Katty Roxana Paredes Escobar, Ángela Geanine Valencia Moreno.· Revista Científica Multidisc...· 0 citations
This study analyzes ICC representation in the Global Success - Grade 11 English textbook, an official resource widely used in Vietnamese high schools. Drawing on Byram’s (1997) ICC framework, a systematic content analysis was conducted to examine all tasks across ten units, focusing on eight ICC dimensions. The findings reveal that despite improvements over earlier materials, the textbook prioritizes linguistic competence and intercultural knowledge over the comprehensive development of ICC. The cultural content mainly conveys factual information rather than promoting active engagement and meaningful intercultural interaction. Besides, critical cultural awareness and intercultural attitudes are underdeveloped. These findings point out a gap between educational policy and textbook development, thereby providing methodological and pedagogical recommendations for teachers using this textbook.
Thành Ha Cong, Giang Dang Ngan· Tạp chí Khoa học Ngoại ngữ· 0 citations
The purpose of this qualitative pilot study was to examine the potential of collaborative online international learning (COIL) between Japanese and Norwegian universities to enhance Japanese students’ English learning and intercultural competence. Over a period of four weeks, students engaged in asynchronous cultural exchanges through video presentations and peer feedback. Data included pre- and post-project questionnaires and reflective journals focused on students’ perceptions of English communication, anxiety, confidence, and intercultural awareness. Findings indicate that participation in COIL fostered enjoyment and created a supportive environment that functioned as a safe space for English practice. Students reported increased confidence in speaking and listening, reduced anxiety, and heightened motivation to engage in intercultural communication. Participation in the project also encouraged critical reflection on one’s own and others’ cultures, supporting the possible development of intercultural communicative competence. Although challenges such as uneven language development and logistical constraints were identified, the findings suggest that COIL supports preparation for global communication in diverse, non-native English contexts.
本研究は、国際協働オンライン学習（Collaborative Online International Learning：COIL）が、日本人大学生の英語学習と異文化理解能力に与える影響を検討したものである。日本とノルウェーの大学生が4週間にわたるビデオプレゼンテーションを通じて非同期型交流を実施し、学習者の振り返り記録とプロジェクト前後のアンケートを質的分析した。その結果、スピーキングとリスニングへの自信向上、異文化コミュニケーション意欲の高まり、他文化への相対的な視点の促進等、異文化コミュニケーション能力の発達の兆候が確認された。一部課題はあるが、COILの英語学習への有益性が示唆された。
Kaori Takamine, Jacob Petersen· JALT Postconference Publicat...· 0 citations
English-medium instruction (EMI) has expanded across Bangladeshi higher education as a marker of academic quality, internationalisation, and graduate employability. Yet the institutional promotion of English does not necessarily translate into sustained English-medium classroom interaction or improved opportunities for students’ language development. This qualitative multiple-case study examines how EMI is interpreted, negotiated, and enacted across three private universities in Bangladesh. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews with six teachers of content-oriented English-department courses and 18 final-year undergraduate students, three student focus-group discussions, and three classroom observations. The dataset was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, supported by iterative coding, memo writing, within-case analysis, and cross-case comparison. Findings indicate that EMI functioned less as a stable English-only instructional model than as a negotiated bilingual practice shaped by uneven English proficiency, time constraints, and institutional expectations. Teachers used Bangla to clarify difficult concepts, sustain interaction, and support comprehension, while students valued English for its academic and professional benefits but often experienced English-only instruction as limiting confidence, participation, and access to disciplinary knowledge. Bilingual mediation, however, rarely formed part of a systematic approach to academic-English development. The central tension therefore lies not simply in teachers’ departure from English-only instruction, but in universities’ expectation that EMI will deliver both disciplinary learning and English proficiency without adequate linguistic, pedagogical, and assessment support. Conceptualising this tension as the EMI institutional promise–practice paradox, the study argues for a linguistically responsive model that combines planned bilingual scaffolding, explicit disciplinary-language development, language-sensitive assessment, and sustained teacher support. By showing how bilingual mediation both sustains and complicates EMI, the study contributes to debates on multilingual pedagogy, linguistic equity, and institutional responsibility in multilingual higher education.
Sultana Jahan· ICRRD Quality Index Research...· 0 citations
This study investigates students’ perceived development of sociolinguistic competence following their participation in an extracurricular intercultural online exchange. The study employed an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach with 198 first-year English majors at the A2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) who were enrolled in Essential Listening and Speaking and Introduction to the English Language courses at a university in Vietnam. The 12-week exchange program was conducted in parallel to formal coursework. The researchers collected quantitative data through a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire measuring pragmatic awareness, communicative appropriateness, politeness strategies, and cultural sensitivity. The researchers conducted descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, a one-sample t-test, and Pearson correlations using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Results indicated that the overall post-exchange perception score was significantly higher than the neutral midpoint (p < .001), with cultural sensitivity receiving the highest rating. Correlation analysis revealed moderate positive relationships among the four dimensions. To elaborate on these findings, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 participants. Thematic analysis indicated increased awareness of sociocultural norms, perceived improvement in pragmatic adjustment, and enhanced communicative confidence. Overall, the findings suggest that scaffolded extracurricular virtual exchange may support early-stage sociolinguistic development among lower-proficiency English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. By focusing on lower-proficiency English majors in the Vietnamese higher education context, this study addresses the limited empirical evidence on how scaffolded intercultural online exchange supports sociolinguistic development and offers pedagogical implications for integrating virtual exchange into EFL speaking instruction.
Huynh Thi Bich Phuong, Tran Thanh Du, Nguyen Huu The· Arab World English Journal· 0 citations
