Linguistic and Cultural Diversity of International Lecturers as Pedagogic Resources in the EMI Higher Education

In many countries where English is a foreign language (EFL), such as China, there is a growing number of tertiary institutions which use English as the medium of instruction (EMI) to align with the global trend of English as an academic lingua franca. Such institutions have attracted subject teachers from various geographical, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds, creating multilingual and multicultural environments in the classroom. Drawing on a multiple case study of two international lecturers working in a joint-venture EMI university in mainland China, this chapter examines whether the international lecturers who speak languages other than English as their first language perceive their linguacultural backgrounds as pedagogic resources and if so, to what extent they draw on their multilingual and multicultural resources for pedagogic purposes. Based on semi-structured interview data, this chapter explores how, if at all, the international lecturers utilise their linguacultural backgrounds to facilitate students’ learning and the rationale for their reluctance or willingness to do so. The findings indicate that the international lecturers strategically utilised their first language and cultural backgrounds to teach content knowledge, raise students’ intercultural awareness, or build rapport with students. The chapter concludes by suggesting the need for professional development and institutional policies that can raise international EMI lecturers’ awareness of their linguistic and cultural backgrounds as a pedagogic asset rather than a barrier to their profession.