Text, talk, and stance: Nigerian and Ukrainian student presentations in English-medium classes at a Ukrainian university

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the impact of internationalization and English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) on classroom practice by analyzing metacommentary on a typical classroom activity, the presentation. A nine-month ethnographic case study was conducted with students from Nigeria and Ukraine, and their Ukrainian teachers, in EMI classes in a predominantly Russian-speaking university in Ukraine. Empirical observations of presentations, recorded classroom discourse, and interview data were interpreted through the lenses of stance (Jaffe, 2007, 2009), and metasociolinguistic stance (Jaffe, 2009). Contrary to expectations, both Nigerian students and their Ukrainian teachers displayed stances that positioned Nigerian students as native speakers and as having more desirable presentation styles relative to the Ukrainian students. Ukrainian students, however, were generally less aligned with these views of desirable presentation styles or academic skills. The findings suggest potential benefits and potential limitations of internationalization of higher education through EMI for language and content learning.