In order to answer the second research question (RQ 2a: What are Chinese EFL learners’ beliefs about the learning of English after studying EAP for an academic year at the EMI University?), the quantitative data relating to the participants’ BLL were analysed in the same way as noted earlier in Section 4.2. The frequency of response to each item was noted in the belief questionnaire. Then, the qualitative data were analysed in order to provide triangulation with the quantitative data (Section 3.6.2).
4.3.1 Nature of Language Learning
Table 4.7 and Table 4.8 present the findings on the participants’ BLL one academic year after they had studied EAP at the EMI University.
Comparing Table 4.1 (Section 4.2.1) and Table 4.7, no apparent changes were discovered in their responses to Item B6 and Item B8 between Survey I and Survey II. On Item B6 with which 73% of the participants agreed in Survey I, 71% of them in Survey II considered “it is necessary to know about English-speaking culture in order to learn English well” (Item B6). On Item B8, 77% of the participants in Survey II agreed with the statement that “it is best to learn English in an English-speaking environment such as an English-speaking country” (Item B8). Similarly, 73% of participants agreed with this statement in Survey I. These findings indicate that the participants continued to assert the value of an immersion setting for learning English, which confirms previous studies in other similar EMI contexts (e.g., M. Wu, 2008a).
The above results are further echoed in the interviews (31 references) (Table 4.8). As exemplified in the following extract, the exposure to English seems to have strengthened the participants’ beliefs about the value of an English-speaking environment for learning English:
9) An English-speaking environment is good for learning English. In such an environment you can have more opportunities to talk to native speakers to practise your oral English (Steve, Lines 1324-1325, Interview II).
Table 4.7 Beliefs about the Nature of Language Learning in Survey II
Item D (%) N (%) A (%)
B3 To learn English means doing a lot of repetition and practice. 13 26 61 B4 The most important part of learning English is learning
vocabulary and grammar.
29 30 41 B5 Extensive reading of English newspapers, magazines or novels is
more helpful than close reading of textbooks.
7 18 75 B6 To learn English well, it is necessary to know about
English-speaking culture.
8 21 71 B8 It is best to learn English in an English-speaking environment
such as an English-speaking country.
4 19 77 B9 Clear expression of ideas is more important than good English
pronunciation.
11 20 69
Table 4.8 Beliefs about the Nature of Language Learning in Interview II
No. Subcategory Counts
1 English should be learned through practice and communication. 37 2 It is best to learn English in an English-speaking environment. 31
3 Vocabulary is important. 22
4 Writing is important. 18
5 Pronunciation is less important as long as the goal of communication is achieved. 16
6 Exercises are important. 15
7 Extensive reading is important. 14
8 Speaking is important. 10
9 It is necessary to understand English-speaking culture. 8
10 English learning involves peers and cooperation. 6
11 Memorisation and repetition are important. 2
12 Examination is important. 2
13 Grammar is important. 1
With regard to beliefs about the study of language skills, 75% of the participants considered that “extensive reading of English newspapers, magazines or novels is more helpful than close reading of textbooks” (Item B5). On the same item in Survey I, only 65% of the participants agreed with this statement. The 10-percentage difference indicates that this belief was more widely held by the participants after they had studied EAP for an academic year at the EMI University. This difference seems to be related to the large number of reading tasks in academic studies in EMI environments (Gao, 2006;
Liu, 2013). Academic studies in EMI settings involve extensive reading tasks, which might shape the participants’ belief that extensive reading is of particular importance. On Item B9, there was a slight change observed between Survey I and Survey II. 69% of the participants in Survey II agreed that “clear expression of ideas is more important than good English pronunciation”, while 62% of them agreed in Survey I. This slight increase may not be enough to indicate a change in students’ beliefs about the importance of pronunciation. However, evidence can be further found in the interviews that these participants held a realistic belief about the importance of pronunciation in learning English. The interviews reveal that pronunciation was perceived to be of less importance as long as it did not impede successful communication (16 references): 10)It is common that different people speak English with different accents. Therefore, I
think pronunciation is not that important as long as the goal of communication is achieved (Michael, Lines 501-502, Interview II).
Further, 59% of the participants in Survey II agreed with the importance of repetition and practice (Item B3), with which 61% of them in Survey I agreed. This result indicates that this belief was still held by them after they had studied EAP for an academic year at the EMI University. However, an examination of the interviews reveals that the word “practice” might have changed its meaning in Interview II. “Practice” in Interview I means practising examination-oriented exercises, while “practice” in Interview II is more closely equivalent to using English to solve practical problems. As revealed in the interviews, most of the participants considered that English should be learned through using it to solve problems such as completing surveys and questionnaires. This belief is demonstrated in the following extract:
11)Now, I think learning English means using it to handle some problems, such as using English to write reports, or to do some questionnaires (Eason, Lines 38-39, Interview II).
The above findings concerning the participants’ beliefs about the importance of clear expression and of using English to solve practical problems are related to the feature of
studying EAP in an EMI setting. Studying in an EMI setting highlights the need for the ability to use English for academic studies and communication (Gao, 2006; Liu, 2013), which might be expected to lead to the emergence of the belief that English should be learned through using it to solve practical problems.
41% of the participants in Survey II agreed with the statement, “the most important part of learning English is learning vocabulary and grammar” (Item B4). This finding suggests that the participants, after studying EAP for an academic year at the EMI University, still believed in the importance of vocabulary in the learning of English. What distinguishes the two interviews, as Jimmy indicates in the following extract, is that vocabulary learning in Interview II focused more on content subjects.
12)Vocabulary is very important. For example, if I do not know some vocabulary for the Physics class, I may be unable to understand the requirements of the questions in this course (Jimmy, Lines 134-135, Interview II).
This extract reveals the influence of the study of content subjects in English upon the participants’ belief in the importance of vocabulary at the EMI University. As noted earlier (Section 3.4), English serves as a means to study content subjects at the EMI University. The study of content subjects poses several challenges to the students, such as difficulties in technical vocabulary and expressions (Evans & Green, 2007; Li & Ruan, 2013). These challenges might result in the participants’ belief in the importance of vocabulary in learning English at the EMI University.
The interviews also indicate some new beliefs, which add to the quantitative results. The participants expressed a strong belief about the importance of academic reading, writing, and speaking after studying EAP for an academic year at the EMI University. Learning EAP at this EMI University seems to have increased their awareness of the importance of speaking (10 references). Another newly found belief pertains to the interviewees’ perceptions about the importance of cooperation with peers (6 references). This belief seems to stem from their experiences in cooperation with peers to conduct a series of activities such as presentations and projects at the EMI University:
13)The impression I have got from my experience of studying here for a year is that learning English involves group activities like projects and presentations, […] (Jason, Lines 292-293, Interview II).
These newly developed beliefs, as revealed in the above extract, were concerned with the participants’ EAP learning experiences at the EMI University. Studying in EMI contexts involves using English to solve practical problems such as doing group projects, surveys, and presentations (Liu, 2013; Parks & Raymond, 2004). Engaging in these academic tasks may require the learners to often read materials, write essays, express their opinions, and work together with others in groups. These experiences might enhance their belief in the importance of skills in reading, writing, speaking, and cooperating with others for academic studies in EMI contexts.
4.3.2 Difficulty of Language Learning
Table 4.9 and Table 4.10 relate to the participants’ beliefs about the difficulty of language learning. With respect to Item B1, while the participants demonstrated almost the same attitudes towards the three answers 1) English is a very difficult language, 3) English is a medium-difficult language, and 5) English is an easy language between Survey I and Survey II, they revealed some obvious changes as regards the remaining two choices: 2) English is a difficult language and 4) English is an easy language. 13% of the participants in Survey I agreed with the answer that English is a difficult language, while this percentage rose up to 20% in Survey II. Similarly, 25% of the participants in Survey I agreed with this statement that English is an easy language, while this percentage in Survey II decreased to 17%.
Similar results are also found for Item B13. In Survey I, 13% of the participants believed that they could learn to speak English well in less than a year if they spent one hour a day learning English, while only 9% of them in Survey II believed they could do so. 35% of the respondents in Survey I thought that they could learn to speak English well within 1 to 2 years if they spent one hour a day learning English, while only 29% of them in Survey II believed that they could do so. The decrease in Survey II indicates
that the participants had become aware of more difficulties in learning English after studying EAP for an academic year at the EMI University.
Table 4.9 Beliefs about the Difficulty of Language Learning in Survey II
Item D (%) N (%) A (%)
B2 It is difficult for me to take part in group discussion in English. 39 34 27 B7 Learning to read and write in English is more difficult than
learning to speak and listen.
26 26 48 B1 English is a/an ________ language.
1) very difficult; 3
2) difficult; 20
3) medium-difficult; 58
4) easy; 17
5) very easy 2
B13 If someone spent one hour a day learning English, how long would it take them to speak the language very well:
1) less than a year 9
2) 1-2 years 29
3) 3-5 years 29
4) 5-10 years 16
5) You can’t learn a language in 1 hour a day. 17
Table 4.10 Beliefs about the Difficulty of Language Learning in Interview II
No. Subcategory Counts
14 Studying content subjects in English is difficult. 17
15 Writing is difficult. 11
16 Listening is difficult. 6
17 Speaking is difficult. 3
18 Vocabulary is difficult. 3
19 Reading is difficult. 2
This change is further revealed in the results for Item B7 which measures the participants’ beliefs about difficulties in acquiring language skills such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing. 38% of the participants in Survey I agreed with the statement that “Learning to read and write in English is more difficult than learning to speak and listen” (Item B7), while this percentage in Survey II increased to 48%. The above findings reveal that the participants were aware of more difficulties in language learning after having studied EAP for an academic year at the EMI University.
Studying in an EMI context, as mentioned earlier, means more demand for language skills for academic purposes, such as participating in group activities, extensive reading, and academic writing (Liu, 2013). It may take time for the students to adjust to this new environment.
The interviews contribute to our understanding of the participants’ difficulties in EAP learning at an EMI University (Table 4.10). They reveal a new belief, namely, that the participants considered it difficult to study the content subjects in English at the EMI University. As described in Section 3.4, in the second semester, the EMI University started to offer some modules in content subjects to its students, such as Physics and Information Technology for Business, which were taught in English. In the interviews, most of the participants said that they encountered difficulties in studying these content subjects in English:
14)[…], the Physics class is taught in English this term. It is a big pressure on me. Everything is in English and there are many technical terms. (Simon, Lines 69-70, Interview II).
Another major difficulty the participants report in the interviews concerns academic writing, evidence for which is found in the qualitative results. To be specific, the difficulty in this regard lies in writing timed essays, coursework essays, and project reports. This point is illustrated in Steve’s comment as follows:
15)[…], for me, writing the timed essay is a big challenge, because I have to do it immediately without opportunity to get access to other help (Steve, Lines 1243-1244, Interview II).
It seems that studying content subjects in English caused difficulties for the participants at the EMI University. These difficulties were mainly due to their inadequate knowledge of technical terms (Li & Ruan, 2013). It also caused difficulties for the participants in their writing for academic purposes such as writing timed essays, coursework papers, and project reports (Evans & Green, 2007).
4.3.3 Autonomy in Language Learning
Table 4.11 and Table 4.12 present the results in Survey II regarding the participants’ beliefs about autonomy in learning English at the EMI University.
Table 4.11 Beliefs about the Autonomy in Language Learning in Survey II
Item D (%) N (%) A (%)
B10 I believe that I should find my own opportunities to use English. 4 17 79 B11 I should be responsible for my own English study instead of relying
on teachers.
4 21 75 B12 I consider what I need to learn on my own instead of waiting for
instruction from teachers.
5 23 72 B14 In order to learn English well, I am ready to practise a lot after class. 17 31 52 B15 I think the role of teacher is to create opportunities for me to practise
English.
12 26 62
Table 4.12 Beliefs about the Autonomy in Language Learning in Interview II
No. Subcategory Counts
20 English learning is my own responsibility. 31
21 I should find my own opportunity to learn English. 24
22 Teachers are important. 15
In comparison with the items pertaining to autonomy in Survey I (Table 4.5), the participants in Survey II expressed more agreement with those items. 79% of the respondents believed that they should find their own opportunities to use English (Item B10); 75% of them agreed that they should be responsible for their own English study instead of relying on teachers (Item B11); 72% of them would think about what they need to learn on their own rather than waiting for instruction from teachers (Item B12). These findings indicate stronger autonomy among the participants an academic year after they had studied EAP at the EMI University. These findings are further illustrated in the interviews (Table 4.12). Eason remarks as follows:
16)[…], compared to high school, I think I have a stronger sense of responsibility in my learning of English now (Eason, Lines 24-25, Interview II).
An increase is also observed in the items related to the participants’ autonomous behaviour. 52% of the respondents agreed that they practised after class in order to learn
English well (Item B14). A decrease in their dependence on teachers was also noticed. 62% of them thought that the role of teachers was to create opportunities for them to practise English (Item B15). These findings further indicate that the participants might become more autonomous in their English study after spending a year at the EMI University. Their enhanced autonomy is captured in the following remark:
17)It is particularly important to create opportunities to practise my listening and speaking on my own at this University (Steve, Lines 1260-1261, Interview II).
The participants’ enhanced autonomy, as revealed in the above extract, seems to be related to their EAP learning experiences at the EMI University. The participants engaged themselves into a variety of learning tasks such as group projects, surveys, and presentations in their EAP classes. These activities require a strong awareness of taking one’s own responsibility (Q. Zhong, 2010). In addition, as described earlier (Section 3.4), the students were trained how to take control of their own study at the EMI University.