English-only Instruction in Post-secondary Education in Taiwan: Voices from Students

Abstract

自從台灣加入世界貿易組織復，高等教育國際化便蔚為風行，而其中『全英語教學』是最常被視為提升教育國際化的策略。雖然大學提倡『全英語教學』已引起廣泛討論，但是針對其實施效果的實徵研究在台灣並不多見，而早在1998年荷蘭學者便發現全英語教學之缺失(Vinkcetal.1998)，因而提出使用『全英語教學』的教師需要在不同教學場域下能使用英語去正確解釋教材並傳達學科知識。本文旨在藉由瞭解十位學生在一所台灣私立大學『全英語教學』之學習狀況與觀點，以促進日復台灣高等教育之國際化。研究之資料來源主要是針對十位在語言相關學系就讀的學生所進行半結構式之訪談錄音。分析方式則採Carspecken (1996)之『再建構分析法』(reconstructive analysis)。研究結果初步顯示學生雖懷疑『全英語教學』影響其專業知能之深度與廣度的吸收，卻也表示自己在英語聽力、字彙與表達的自信方面有所增長。根據學生的意見，本研究也發現使用『全英語教學』的教師，在課程安排與教學上，除需注意Vinke et al. (1998)所提學習之認知方面，也要留心情意部分，以加強學生之學習效果。

The internationalization of higher education in Taiwan has become a trend since Taiwan entered the World Trade Organization (WTO). One of the most popular internationalizing mechanisms for Taiwan is to provide English-taught courses in postsecondary education. Despite its proliferationwe rarely have empirical studies on its effectiveness which 15 particularly important since Vinke et al. (1998) found that the effects of using English as the only medium of teaching to facilitate one` s language abilities and international understanding were not totally positive. This paper thus aims to report student voices regarding English-Only instruction in one department in a comprehensive private university in Taiwan. Ten student interviews were conducted. Data were analyzed by Carspecken`s (1996) reconstructive analysis. The results showed delicate complexity between positive and negative learning effects. The students perceived English improvement in terms of listening vocabulary and confidence while they expressed worries about a loss in their acquisition of professional knowledge. In a...