1. Introduction

The introduction chapter discusses the global trend of English-Medium Instruction (EMI) programs in higher education institutions, the challenges faced in implementing EMI, and the impact of language difficulties on student engagement and motivation. It also highlights the importance of teacher-student rapport in creating a positive learning environment and the use of communication strategies in the EMI context. The chapter emphasizes the need to investigate how EMI lecturers use communication strategies to build rapport with students and promote solidarity in academic settings.

2. Literature Review

This chapter discusses the notion of rapport in the classroom setting, including the specific teacher behaviors that contribute towards building rapport with students. It also explores the use of communication strategies, such as code-switching and other-repetition, to demonstrate alignment and solidarity, how lecturers use rapport-building CSs in interactive academic activities, and the potential implications for EMI programs.

3. This Study

This chapter describes the study location, participant selection and recruitment process, data collection methods, and data transcription and analysis. The study is situated at a prestigious Chinese university’s branch campus established in Malaysia in 2016. The participants include faculty and students from 30 different countries, with a focus on experienced EMI lecturers. Data was collected from tutorials and supervision meetings, and a modified version of Gail Jefferson’s transcription system was used to transcribe the interaction data. The data analysis focused on identifying and coding rapport-building strategies employed by the lecturers to establish rapport and enhance learning in the EMI context.

4. Findings

The analysis of the interaction data revealed that the EMI lecturers frequently used three communication strategies to foster rapport and solidarity: back-channeling, code-switching, and co-creation of the message. Back-channeling was the most frequently used strategy, occurring 294 times and comprising 58% of the total occurrences of rapport-building strategies. Code-switching was the second most common, with 123 occurrences, making up 25% of the total. Finally, co-creation of message occurred 83 times, accounting for 17% of the total. Back-channeling serves to establish rapport, promote solidarity and aligns with the cooperative and mutually supportive nature of interactions in ELF contexts. Code-switching usually describes as “a phenomenon of switching from one language to another in the same discourse” and was found to switch purposefully to their interlocutor’s L1. The co-creation of a message refers to speakers’collaborative efforts in“filling in the blanks of each other’s utterances” to reach a possible completion point. In addition to offering help to students when there is evidence of a word search or uncertainty, EMI lecturers also co-construct messages with students to demonstrate active listening and involvement.

5. Discussion and Conclusion

This chapter discussed the importance of building rapport between teachers and students in the EMI context, as well as the use of communication strategies (CSs) by lecturers to achieve this. The study identified three types of CSs frequently used by EMI lecturers to establish rapport with students, including back-channeling, co-creation of messages, and code-switching. These strategies were found to significantly contribute to fostering rapport between lecturers and students. The findings can be utilized in the professional development and training of lecturers, and the strategies identified can be incorporated into research-based pedagogical materials to enhance student learning during interactive academic activities. The chapter also mentioned the potential for future research to explore the use of CSs by experienced lecturers in EMI settings outside of Chinese university overseas campuses.