This study explores the perceptions of Chinese engineering-major students towards their English learning experience after taking a mandatory English composition course in an EMI college. The investigation centers on first-year students’ perceptions of transitioning to EMI, with a focus on how the composition course has assisted students’ transition as a primary language support. Data were collected through a metaphor elicitation technique in which students expressed their perceptions of English learning, complemented by a thematic analysis of 86 reflection essays on the composition class. An analysis of the 334 metaphors identified students’ enhanced confidence in English, the importance of the English-using environment, positive views of learning communities, and increased agency in the learning process. It also revealed that many students were stressed and unaware of learning strategies, therefore suggesting institutional-level language support. One implication is to promote the culture of the learning community. The findings can be particularly useful for programs that are implementing language support for non-English major students.

The purpose of this study is to investigate elementary school teachers’ and students’ experience of teaching and learning English grammar and how they perceive English grammar education with regard to its role in learning English and the need and ways of including grammar instruction into the curriculum. Questionnaires were administered to 123 teachers and 1513 6th grade students. In addition, written interviews with 20 teachers were done through e-mail. Major findings from the analysis of this survey are three-fold. First, most of the teachers and the students had experiences of teaching and learning English grammar and they perceived that English grammar knowledge plays a positive role in learning English. Second, majority of both the teachers and the students believed that grammar instruction should start in 5th grade, but there is a gap between the teachers and the students with respect to grammar teaching approaches; the teachers prefer the inductive method, while the students prefer the deductive one. Third, many teachers considered that grammar instruction would not have a negative effect on English classes based on the communicative language teaching approach, but they believed that activities for grammar instruction should be well designed in order to keep students interested in learning English. Based on these results, several suggestions for improving English education in elementary schools are made.