Students’ Emotional Performance in English-Medium-of-Instruction Classes: A Literature Review Based on Different English Proficiency Levels
Main Article Content
Keywords
English-medium-of-instruction (EMI), English proficiency, students’ emotional performance, anxiety, motivation
Abstract
This literature review reports on the emotional performance of students with different English proficiency levels in English-medium-of-instruction (EMI) classrooms. First, there are different levels of impact on students’ emotional states, such as anxiety, motivation, and engagement, in terms of different degrees of English mastery. Second, the factors influencing these emotional responses, including teaching methods, the classroom environment, and the relationship between students and teachers, should be studied in detail. The literature review also assesses whether the existing strategies work out in terms of reducing negative emotions and enhancing positive emotional experiences in EMI settings. In conclusion, the purpose of the literature review is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the emotional subjective initiative in EMI classrooms by dividing them into different English proficiency groups, offering insights and approaches for improving EMI teaching practices and student learning outcomes.
References
- An, J., Macaro, E. and Childs, A. (2021). Classroom interaction in EMI high schools: Do teachers who are native speakers of English make a difference? System, vol. 98, p. 102482.
- Cai, Y., Zuo, Q. and Ge, Q. (2025). Examining the association between boredom and English achievement in the contexts of self-efficacy and English proficiency levels: A perspective combining the control-value theory and the Island Ridge Curve. System, vol. 133, p. 103764.
- Chou, M.-H. (2023). The role of goal orientations and communication strategies in willingness to communicate in EMI classrooms. Journal of Language and Education, vol. 9, no.3, pp. 24-37.
- Jiang, A. L. and Zhang, L. J. (2019). Chinese students’ perceptions of English learning affordances and their agency in an English-medium instruction classroom context. Language and Education, vol. 33, no.4, pp. 322-339.
- Karas, M. and Faez, F. (2020). What Level of Proficiency Do Teachers Need to Teach English in Different Settings? Perceptions of Novice Teachers in Canada. TESL-EJ, vol. 24, no.2, p. n2.
- L, C. (2024). Emotional strategies and the cultivation of students' learning motivation in college English learning. Applied & Educational Psychology, vol. 5, no.6, pp. 100-104.
- Li, H. (2024a). Published. A Study on the Effects of Learning Motivation and Boredom on English Learning Outcomes of Chinese College Students. Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Educational Innovation and Philosophical Inquiries (part2), Changsha. School of Literature and Journalism, Changsha University of Science & Technology, pp. 213-220.
- Li, M. (2024b). Relocating from EFL to EMI: a case study on L2 learning motivation of English major students in a transnational university in China. Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, vol. 9, no.1, p. 57.
- Liu, M. and Du, N. (2024). A Study of Chinese University Students’ English Learning Motivation, Anxiety, Use of English and English Achievement. Sustainability, vol. 16, no.19, p. 8707.
- Shen, Y. and Li, Y. (2024). Published. A study of the relationship between high school students’ English learning self-efficacy, anxiety and learning effectiveness. Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Educational Innovation and Philosophical Inquiries (part2), 2024 Tianjin. School of Foreign Language, Tianjin University; International School of Education, MinZu University of China, pp. 24-31.
- Shu, X. (2024). Published. The Effect of Game Teaching Method on Chinese Students' Anxiety. about English Learning. Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Educational Innovation and Philosophical Inquiries (part1), 2024 Heifei, CN. School of Culture and Communication, Anhui Xinhua University, pp. 743-746.
- Stéphane, P. C. S. (2025). Challenges, Attitude, and Motivation of Foreign Students. Learning English as a Foreign Language in a Cameroonian University. English Language and Literature Studies, vol. 15, no.2, p. 40.
- Zahid, Z., Ghani, M. and Yasir, G. M. (2018). Low and high English Language proficiency of the learners in Pakistan: A comparative study of two different education systems. International Journal of Social Sciences and Education Research, vol. 4, no.1, pp. 18-23.
- Zhang, Y. and Liu, G. L. (2025). Examining the impacts of learner backgrounds, proficiency level, and the use of digital devices on informal digital learning of English: an explanatory mixed-method study. Computer Assisted Language Learning, vol. 38, no.5-6, pp. 1113-1140.
- Zhou, H. and Shi, G. (2019). Published. A Study of Emotional Practice in College English Teaching. 5th International Conference on Social Science and Higher Education (ICSSHE 19), Dordrecht, Netherlands: Atlantis Press, pp. 645-648.
Article Sidebar
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.