Students’ Perceptions of Translingual Pedagogic Practices in a Chinese EMI University

Educating groups of multilingual students with varying levels of language proficiency in tertiary English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) institutions is challenging for educators. These challenges are exacerbated in the teaching of content-specific conceptual knowledge. To reduce instructional challenges and facilitate students’ learning of content-related conceptual knowledge, translingual practices were promoted among a cohort of students enrolled in a Chinese EMI institution. To investigate the extent to which students perceived these practices as effective in learning content-specific concepts, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a representative sample from this cohort, with interview data later analyzed thematically. This chapter discusses these findings in relation to the effectiveness of adopting translingual practices with students in multilingual EMI settings. It concludes by proposing a theory-practice reflection that accommodates and welcomes teachers’ and students’ translingual practices.