Language boundary-crossing by business school faculty using English as a medium of instruction

This paper explores the challenges facing non-native speaking faculty using English as a medium of instruction in French business schools. It analyses the challenges reported by 15 faculty members, their perceptions of what is lost and gained, the strategies they employ and the metaphors they use to describe their teaching experience. Findings show that the challenges are both linguistic and non-linguistic, with faculty reporting both linguistic loss and cultural and pedagogical gain, as they enact communicative and coping strategies to compensate for their lack of English knowledge, and use metaphors that evoke their teacher identity. This research points to the need to conduct language audits given the sophistication of language use within the management academy, the taken-for-granted nature of institutional Englishisation as well as the multiple identities of business school faculty, who undertake extensive personal development to navigate the challenges they face when teaching in English.