Zhejiang Chinese Medical University and University of Nottingham Ningbo China successfully conclude 2025 English-Medium Instruction Teacher Training Programme. The two-week initiative, running from 25th July to 10th August 2025, established a robust platform for participating educators’ professional advancement, significantly enhancing their English-medium teaching competencies.

Programme Commencement

The programme was formally inaugurated on 25th July at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. Upon conclusion of the opening ceremony, participating teachers promptly commenced their systematic training regimen. During the initial week’s curriculum, the “Language Awareness” course equipped educators with fundamental linguistic knowledge requisite for English-medium instruction. Subsequently, the “Principles of EMI Teaching” module delivered comprehensive theoretical instruction, elucidating the core methodologies and implementation frameworks underpinning English-medium pedagogy, thereby establishing a robust theoretical foundation for subsequent teaching practice. Concurrently, the programme incorporated an introductory segment on “Mindfulness for Teaching and Learning”, which through foundational instruction and case study analysis, guided participants in recognising the application value of mindfulness techniques within cross-linguistic educational contexts.

Professional Development Studies

The programme offered a diverse range of targeted course modules specifically designed for English-medium instruction contexts. The “Developing Intercultural Competence” course addressed critical cultural adaptation challenges in English-medium teaching environments, focusing on cognitive differences and communication approaches across diverse cultural backgrounds, while equipping educators with fundamental intercultural interaction methodologies. Simultaneously, the “Presentation Skills” module systematically enhanced teachers’ classroom delivery precision and content organisation through comprehensive instruction on linguistic structuring and information distillation.

The “AI for Teaching and Learning” module, aligned with current educational technology trends, introduced practical applications of mainstream teaching tools, effectively expanding educators' methodological repertoire for English-medium instruction. Meanwhile, the “EMI Lesson Planning and preparation” component provided discipline-specific operational guidance, systematically enhancing teachers’ capabilities in setting learning objectives and designing instructional sequences. These comprehensive training elements collectively empowered participants to address diverse challenges in English-medium teaching contexts with greater efficacy, thereby substantially elevating their professional teaching competencies.

Practical Experience Exchange

The case study workshops and practical teaching sessions served as pivotal platforms for translating theory into practice. During the “Case Studies: Observation and Analysis” module, educators examined authentic teaching cases, meticulously analysing instructional processes and teacher-student interactions to identify challenges and distill best practices. The English-medium Q&A sessions provided direct solutions to real-world teaching dilemmas, fostering dynamic exchanges that bridged theoretical knowledge with practical application. Informal discussions during breaks and lunch periods further enriched the learning experience, as participants shared cross-institutional teaching experiences. These organic exchanges generated valuable perspective-sharing, significantly deepening educators’ understanding and implementation of crucial teaching elements such as feedback mechanisms and assessment strategies.

Programme Conclusion

The closing ceremony on 10th August marked the successful completion of this intensive professional development initiative. Over the fortnight, participating teachers significantly enhanced their English-medium instruction competencies through structured learning and practical experience exchanges, while pioneering locally-adapted approaches to English-medium teaching. The University of Nottingham Ningbo China remains committed to advancing open and innovative educational philosophies, with plans to further strengthen Sino-British educational collaboration to drive pedagogical progress. All participants are now poised to implement their acquired expertise within their respective institutions, paving the way for new standards of excellence in English-medium instruction. This transformative experience shall undoubtedly catalyse lasting improvements in teaching quality across multiple academic disciplines.