Language-conscious practices: Developing training and support for students and faculty in an English-taught program at a Swedish university

Successful implementation of English-taught programs requires more than simply good teaching and language skills (e.g. Dafouz, & Smit, 2014; Airey, 2015; Kim, Choi, & Tatar, 2017). Instructors and students must be aware of how cultural differences and language proficiency affect pedagogy and communication, and be able to use a variety of techniques and strategies for language-conscious curriculum and course development, language-conscious learning and teaching practice, and academic and social integration (e.g. Shohamy, 2012; Macgregor & Folinazzo, 2018; Dafouz, 2018; Morton, 2018; Muntenau, 2019). In this paper, we report on a study of the implementation of an English-taught program at a university in Sweden. The purpose of the study was to examine the implementation process in order to assess program readiness and develop training and support for students and teachers in English-taught programs. The study describes the development of language-conscious courses and pedagogy, and documents and analyzes the lived experience of students and faculty members in the program. Six faculty members and 32 students participated in three workshops conducted by the researchers at the beginning, middle, and end of a 16-week semester. During each workshop, the participants were asked to respond to questionnaires and take part in focus group discussions. Some participants were also asked to write brief reflections on their experiences in the program. Preliminary findings indicate a need for further training and support in three areas identified by the participants: (1) adapting content, materials/assignments, and assessment criteria to linguistically and culturally diverse students; (2) using strategies and techniques for language-conscious, multilingual learning and teaching; and (3) facilitating academic and social integration.