Speaker
Description
Abstract
The increasing trend of English-medium instruction (EMI) in higher education has reignited debates about the use of students' first languages, the circumstances, and how to teach in disciplinary classrooms. This narrative review focuses on the uses, possible advantages, and pitfalls of translanguaging in EMI contexts, particularly in Asian and Vietnamese higher education. The literature suggests that a well-planned movement within and between English, students' first languages, and multimodal sources can enable learners to comprehend disciplinary topics, acquire academic vocabulary, engage more confidently, and bridge knowledge that is being circulated internationally with the realities of professional life locally. These benefits are not automatic. In cases where first-language use is routine translation, students may end up with less meaningful exposure to English, reliance on bilingual interpretation, or exclude other classmates with no shared local language. In response to this tension, the article introduces the PLATE framework (Purpose, Limit, Adapt, Transition, and Evaluate). The framework conceptualizes translanguaging as temporary and bounded scaffolding which aids comprehension, yet leads students to acquire English-medium academic performance. It thus provides a realistic middle-ground option between strict English-only policies and full first-language usage.
Keywords: translanguaging; English-medium instruction; EMI; higher education; linguistic scaffolding.