Finding their feet : lecturers’ and students’ perceptions of English as a medium of instruction in a recently-implemented Master's programme at an Italian university

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Abstract

This article reports on a small-scale qualitative study designed to explore lecturers’ and students’ experiences of teaching and learning on a recently-implemented MSc programme in Biomedical Sciences taught in the medium of English at an Italian university. A focus group format was employed to interview twelve students on the programme, and individual interviews were conducted with six lecturers. Participants’ views were elicited concerning the language proficiency of both students and lecturers, the strategies adopted to meet any challenges associated with weak language skills where these were thought to exist, and the perceived impact of EMI on assessment and the quality of course content. Findings indicate that despite quite lenient language entry requirements, students felt able to cope with the demands of the programme and felt positively disposed towards it and the benefits it afforded, despite at times placing extra demands on them. Lecturers similarly felt positive about the experience both in terms of the students’ and their own development. There is evidence that flexible attitudes towards the use of students’ L1, and the strategies lecturers adopted in their efforts to accommodate to students, were important determinants of these attitudes and the generally positive experience widely reported.

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