English-Medium Content Courses: Student Approaches and Strategies to Increase Comprehension Levels
Keywords:
content-based instruction; student strategies; Englishmedium instruction; language integrated learningAbstract
Taking English-medium content courses is very challenging
for speakers of English as a foreign language, and various 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 the native language let
alone in a foreign language. This research investigates first-year
Japanese university students‘ perceptions of one such course delivered
at a private university in Tokyo. The strategies and approaches that
students use in order to successfully understand and take part in an
English-medium economics course are also examined. Qualitative
research methods including observations, interviews, surveys and
document checking were used to investigate the research questions.
Data analysis showed that students found it difficult to understand the
course content, especially the spoken component of the lectures, but
used a number of strategies and approaches to increase comprehension.
However, the participants showed a preference for the use of preprepared outlines, and pre and post-class peer discussions to better
understand the course content. The results can serve as a guide for
anyone involved in foreign language-medium content course design,
especially teachers who wish to offer specific support to students
enrolled on such courses.
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