Innovation in Language Learning

As English-medium instruction (EMI) becomes increasingly prevalent in higher education across non-Anglophone countries, content lecturers are expected to navigate both disciplinary expertise and linguistic demands. This dual responsibility often generates significant emotional strain, yet little is known about how EMI lecturers manage their emotions in professional practice. This study investigates the types, frequency, and effects of emotional labor and emotion regulation strategies among EMI lecturers, and how these psychological processes relate to teaching satisfaction, self-efficacy, and burnout.

Drawing on Emotional Labor Theory (Brotheridge & Lee, 2003) and Emotion Regulation Theory (Gross & John, 2003), the study surveyed 132 EMI lecturers from a public university in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The questionnaire included validated scales measuring surface acting, deep acting, genuine expression, cognitive reappraisal, suppression, teaching satisfaction, self-efficacy, and emotional exhaustion. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, multiple regression, and group comparisons based on English proficiency, teaching experience, and disciplinary background.

Preliminary results suggest that surface acting is negatively associated with teaching satisfaction and well-being, while cognitive reappraisal is positively linked to self-efficacy. Differences were also observed across demographic groups, with more experienced lecturers reporting lower emotional dissonance. The findings offer valuable insights into the emotional dimensions of EMI teaching and inform future professional development efforts aimed at supporting emotional resilience and sustainable EMI pedagogy.