1 Introduction

Introduced the background and importance of EMI (English medium teaching), pointed out its popularity in global education and promotion in Chinese universities. The article reviews the growth trend of EMI research, especially from the perspective of teachers, and points out that existing literature mostly focuses on EMI in higher education. This study aims to review empirical research on domestic EMI teachers published in core journals at home and abroad from 2011 to 2022. Through searching relevant literature on Web of Science, Scopus, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure, 33 empirical research papers focusing on domestic EMI teachers were selected. The study analyzed the characteristics and development trends of EMI teacher research in China from three aspects: research methods, objects, and themes, providing reference for future research.

The connotation and extension of EMI

EMI refers to the use of English to teach subject knowledge in non English speaking countries, similar but distinct from terms such as CBI, CLIL, CBLT, and Immersion Education. EMI focuses on imparting subject knowledge, with English as the medium. Chinese may be used as an auxiliary language in domestic EMI classrooms. CLIL and CBLT emphasize the coordinated development of disciplines and language, while CBI focuses more on language learning. This study focuses on EMI in teaching non linguistic subject knowledge in English. EMI courses in China are mainly offered in universities and taught by professional teachers. There is no requirement for students' English proficiency and they are aimed at the majority of students, with some offering transitional courses. Many EMI teachers in China have a background in studying abroad but lack experience in teaching in English. Some professional teachers have limited English proficiency and often use bilingual teaching. Use foreign original English textbooks more often. These characteristics provide background for understanding the research on EMI teachers in China.

Research Methods for EMI Teachers in China

This chapter mainly explores the methodology of EMI teacher research in China. The research subjects mainly focus on university teachers, with a few involving foreign teachers in primary and secondary schools. The research methods mainly focus on qualitative research, including interviews, classroom observations, and case analysis, while some studies also use quantitative methods. The research content involves teachers' teaching beliefs, practices, career development, and other aspects. Research often relies on teachers' self-reports, with a few combined with classroom observations, but the observation time is relatively short. Individual researchers use themselves as research subjects to explore teaching practices and challenges. There is also research on the discourse structure of EMI courses based on corpus analysis.

4 Research Topics for EMI Teachers in China

The research topics of EMI teachers in China involve teaching beliefs, career development, classroom discourse, and personal factors. Research on teaching beliefs shows that despite limitations in English proficiency, teachers hold a positive attitude towards EMI courses, believing that they can enhance students' employability. Career development research emphasizes the importance of collaboration between English teachers and subject teachers, as well as the necessity for schools to provide EMI teacher training. Classroom discourse research focuses on language selection and use, particularly in the areas of translingual teaching strategies and teacher-student question and answer methods. The self factor study explored the impact of English proficiency, self-efficacy, cross-cultural competence, and language teaching initiative on the effectiveness of EMI teaching. Research has shown that teachers' English proficiency is positively correlated with their teaching self-efficacy, but high English proficiency does not necessarily mean good teaching effectiveness. The cross-cultural competence model should include a moral dimension, and the development of teachers' agency is influenced by past experiences, teaching environment, and career goals.

5 Future Research Prospects for EMI Teachers in China

The empirical research on EMI teachers in China is growing rapidly, and future research needs to be comprehensive and in-depth. Research should focus on EMI teachers at different educational stages, increase research on primary and secondary school and vocational college teachers, and explore cooperative teaching models. Using various methods for longitudinal research, such as participatory observation, reflective journals, etc., to reveal the current situation and challenges of teaching. Expand the perspective of classroom discourse research, deeply analyze the characteristics of teacher discourse, and focus on multimodal interaction. Based on data from multiple schools, conduct a large-scale study to comprehensively understand the current development status of EMI teachers and provide guidance for their ability enhancement and career development.

6 Conclusion

After analyzing the empirical research on EMI teachers in China over the past 12 years, it is pointed out that the research has grown but the quantity is limited. It is suggested to broaden the research perspective and methods and conduct more in-depth exploration.