Speaker
Description
In an increasingly globalized world, the significance of bilingual education has drawn much attention of educational institutions, especially those accommodating international students. The present study investigates Cambodian students’ impacts of the bilingual-medium instruction (BMI) on their learning performance at a Vietnamese Medical College (VNMC). The BMI aims to enhance their educational experience by providing its instruction in both Vietnamese and English.
Using VNMC as a research setting, this case study collects data via semi-structured interviews for ten Cambodian students taking a medical degree program at this college. The collected data reveals several benefits of the BMP including improved language proficiency, enhanced comprehension of course contents, increased confidence in effective communication skills, and preparation for global healthcare practice. However, challenges such as language proficiency gap, cognitive load, and cultural differences are transparently identified. These findings underscore the importance of tailored support mechanisms within the BMI to address the diverse needs of international students effectively. They also contribute valuable insights into the effectiveness of the BMI in fostering academic success among international medical students. The study provides valuable recommendations for optimizing the re-design of the BMI for international students and provides comparable recommendations for further studies.
Biography
Quoc-Hung Tran (Trần Quốc Hùng), a senior lecturer at School of Foreign Languages, Can Tho University (CTU), received his B.A. degree in TEFL from CTU, M.A. degree in Applied Linguistics from University of Massachusetts-Boston (USA), and Ph.D. degree in Second Language Education from University of Alberta (Canada). His research interests are EFL teacher education, theories and approaches in EFL writing instruction, EFL
teacher mentorship and professional development, and qualitative research methodology.
Ngoc Dang (Đặng Bảo Ngọc) is currently a lecturer of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) at Dong Thap Medical College. She received her B.A. degree in English Language from Can Tho University and her M.Sc. degree from the University of Greenwich (United Kingdom). Her research interests include teaching methodologies for English for Medical Purposes (EMP) and bilingual education for international students in health-related disciplines.
