Abstract
One of the areas of English-Medium Instruction (EMI) which has been receiving increasing attention in recent years is that of students’ multiple language use, or translanguaging practices, in the EMI classroom (see for example Paulsrud et al., 2021). Studies have shown that even when an English-only approach is advocated, students will often draw upon their full range of language resources both to interact with peers and lecturers and to internalise content knowledge (Dalziel & Guarda, 2021). In the light of such findings, this chapter will attempt to delve into attitudes to multiple language use and the emergence of plurilingual identities in the context of two English-taught programmes at the University of Padova (Italy) which attract high numbers of international students: The Bachelor’s degree in Psychological Science and the Master’s degree in English Studies. By means of the quantitative and qualitative analysis of questionnaire responses and focus group discussions, the authors will explore students’ choice of degree programme as well as their emotional responses to the language(s) they use to learn. Overall, the results reveal a strong emotional attachment to the English language, seen by students to be part of their academic identity. It also provides evidence of how the other languages of students’ repertoires, alongside English, are also involved in acquiring content knowledge. It is hoped that the findings of this study may help practitioners to broaden their perspectives of EMI, taking account of the affective factors related to studying in English in a multilingual educational environment.