Commentary: Learning Students' Given Names Benefits EMI Classes

contributed to an important yet inconspicuous concept associated with teaching—using students' given names. The authors' article focused on the use of English as the medium of instruction (EMI) in university classes in Korea and the use of student names as a precursor to student engagement and satisfaction and to success in the classroom.

Murdoch, Lim, and Kang juxtaposed the conflict students face learning subject material with that of infrequent teacher–student communication in EMI classes, which hampered the possibility of teachers learning the students' names. The authors' survey instrument examined the instructors' use of names, the students' perceptions of that use, and the influence of such use to motivate learning. The authors found that students who had previous EMI learning experiences felt more valued when instructors used their names. The principal concern, among reasons for negative perceptions of student name use, was incorrect pronunciation. However, when learning subject matter in English, I believe that a passive learning of Western cultural norms also occurs. The realities of an autonomously leaning classroom dynamic should therefore promote individual autonomy.

Other Information

Published in: Frontiers in Psychology
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
See article on publisher's website: https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01625

The University of Doha for Science and Technology replaced the now-former College of the North Atlantic-Qatar after an Amiri decision in 2022. UDST has become and first national applied University in Qatar; it is also second national University in the country.