YU-TING KAO (NATIONAL CHENG KUNG UNIVERSITY)
EVALUATING DISCIPLINARY LITERACY IN EMI: A CASE STUDY FROM MECHANICAL ENGINEERING : LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION
In college education, the use of English varies significantly across disciplines, driven by their distinct communication and knowledge-making demands. Enhancing disciplinary literacy, defined as a register of English with features typical of academic and professional texts, is crucial in English-medium instruction (EMI) environments. Yet, research on disciplinary language learning within EMI has focused narrowly on fields like accounting, biotechnical sciences, and engineering, limiting comprehensive understanding of how language use is influenced by disciplinary differences. Moreover, the assessment of disciplinary literacy poses challenges, particularly in integrating content and language, necessitating clear assessment indicators, collaborative assessment creation, literacy tracking, and a balance between formative and summative methods. This study investigates the application of the Cognitive Discourse Function (CDF) construct in the Mechanical Engineering (ME) Department of an EMI program, exploring its role in explaining variations in student exam performance and in assessing EMI instructors' effectiveness. Data from 150 ME students' exam responses, video recordings of three EMI courses, and semi-structured interviews with teachers and students were analyzed. The findings indicate that the use of CDF by EMI teachers affects student exam responses significantly. High-performing students wrote more extensively (average: 168 words) and employed at least two CDF constructs, whereas lower-performing students wrote fewer words (average: 37) and demonstrated limited use of CDF. These results enhance understanding of how disciplinary literacy is developed and practiced in mechanical engineering and underscore the value of formative assessment in promoting student development in EMI settings.
Yu-Ting Kao is an Associate Professor in the Department of Foreign Languages & Literature at National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan. Her research focuses on language testing and assessment, bilingual education, curriculum design and instruction, and teacher preparation.