Modifying Language Use and Teaching Strategy in All-English Language Classes: Perceptions of Students from Two Mixed-Major Freshman English Classes in Taiwan

調整全英語課程之授課語言及教學方式：針對臺灣兩個大一英文混班班級的研究

全英語授課在臺灣多數大學的英語課程雖已行之多年，學生對全英語授課的接受程度不一令人質疑「全英語」政策的恰當性。本文首先回顧全英語授課非語言科目在某些亞洲國家之實行情況，並比較教師與學生在英語授課的科目所面臨的挑戰及有效的應對措施。有鑑於探討不同主修的學生對於英語課程使用全英語授課的接受程度較少，本研究遂針對一所大學兩個大一英文混班級的學生實施問卷。教師根據問卷結果調整授課語言，並進一步訪談學生以瞭解其對全英語授課之看法及課堂教學語言調整後的適應。研究結果顯示：大一英文學生雖不反對全英語授課但期望教師隨時注意學生反應，以學生易懂的方式進行英語授課。

While the English - only policy in general English courses including Freshman English has been implemented in many universities in Taiwan for quite some time， issues regarding students’ receptiveness to and comprehension of English lectures and course contents often raise doubts as to whether such practice is pedagogically justified. The present study first provided an overview of English medium instruction (EMI) in subject courses in certain Asian countries and compared the common challenges faced by instructors and students in both EMI content and language courses. Since few studies have looked into how students of different disciplinary majors who may take EMI courses in other subject courses perceive the use of English as the sole medium of instruction in English language classes， this study aimed to investigate the extent to which students in mixed - major Freshman English classes understand the instructor’s lectures and messages delivered in English and the modifications that instructors can immediately adopt to improve learning outcomes. Questionnaire responses from 84 students of 20 different academic majors were analyzed and in - class observations of students were combined with questionnaire responses to inform the instructor on possible modification in the language and teaching strategies used in class. Follow - up interviews with selected students at different levels of language proficiency were aranged after teaching modification had been implemented for two months. The interviewes felthathey experienced improved comprehension when code - switching was e mployed， buthey also believed thathe English - only policy ned not be abolished as long as the instructor closely monitorstudents’ level of understanding. The findings ofered implications for other English medium content - area courses and suggested th at instructors of language and content courses may collaborate with one another to improve learning outcomes. Key w ords: English - medium instruction (EMI)， Freshman English ， code - Switching While the English-only policy in general English courses including Freshman English has been implemented in many universities in Taiwan for quite some time， issues regarding students’ receptiveness to and comprehension of English lectures and course contents often raise doubts as to whether such practice is pedagogically justified. The present study first provided an overview of English medium instruction (EMI) in subject courses in certain Asian countries and compared the common challenges faced by instructors and students in both EMI content and language courses. Since few studies have looked into how students of different disciplinary majors who may take EMI courses in other subject courses perceive the use of English as the sole medium of instruction in English language classes， this study aimed to investigate the extent to which students in mixed-major Freshman English classes understand the instructor’s lectures and messages delivered in English and the modifications that instructors can immediately adopt to improve learning outcomes. Questionnaire responses from 84 students of 20 different academic majors were analyzed and in-class observations of students were combined with questionnaire responses to inform the instructor on possible modification in the language and teaching strategies used in class. Follow-up interviews with selected students at different levels of language proficiency were arranged after teaching modification had been implemented for two months. The interviewees felt that they experienced improved comprehension when code-switching was employed， but they also believed that the English-only policy need not be abolished as long as the instructor closely monitors students’ level of understanding. The findings offered implications for other English medium content-area courses and suggested that instructors of language and content courses may collaborate with one another to improve learning outcomes.