Hostname: page-component-5447f9dfdb-ltchl Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-07-28T08:54:01.157Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Defining English Medium Instruction: Striving for comparative equivalence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 December 2021

Heath Rose Open the ORCID record for Heath Rose [Opens in a new window] ,
Ernesto Macaro ,
Kari Sahan ,
Ikuya Aizawa ,
Sihan Zhou  and
Minhui Wei
Heath Rose*
Affiliation:
EMI Oxford Research Group, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
Ernesto Macaro
Affiliation:
EMI Oxford Research Group, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
Kari Sahan
Affiliation:
EMI Oxford Research Group, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
Ikuya Aizawa
Affiliation:
EMI Oxford Research Group, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
Sihan Zhou
Affiliation:
EMI Oxford Research Group, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
Minhui Wei
Affiliation:
EMI Oxford Research Group, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
*
*Corresponding author. Email: heath.rose@education.ox.ac.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

English Medium Instruction (EMI) has been defined as ‘the use of the English language to teach academic subjects (other than English itself) in countries or jurisdictions where the first language (L1) of the majority of the population is not English’ (Macaro, 2018, p. 19). This definition has proved to be controversial but has underpinned the work of our research group, from whose collective perspective this article is written. Debates have centred on the role that English language development plays in EMI contexts, and whether this current definitional scope is too narrow in its exclusion of English medium educational practices in Anglophone settings. Pecorari and Malmström (2018), for example, observe that some members of the EMI research community interpret EMI more broadly to include ‘contexts in which English is a dominant language and in which English language development is supported and actively worked for’ (p. 507). Similarly, Baker and Hüttner (2016, p. 502) state that excluding Anglophone contexts from EMI is ‘unhelpful’ by failing to include the experiences of multilingual students in Anglophone universities who learn through their second language (L2). A focus on multilingualism is also one of the driving forces behind the emergence of new terminology that seeks to shift focus towards the contexts of education, rather than instruction and pedagogy. Dafouz and Smit (2016), for example, prefer the term English-Medium Education in Multilingual University Settings (EMEMUS), because the ‘label is semantically wider, as it does not specify any particular pedagogical approach or research agenda’ (p. 399).

Information

Type
First Person Singular
Information
Language Teaching , Volume 56 , Issue 4 , October 2023 , pp. 539 - 550
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Aizawa, I., & Rose, H. (2019). An analysis of Japan's English as medium of instruction initiatives within higher education: The gap between meso-level policy and micro-level practice. Higher Education, 77(6), 1125–1142. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-018-0323-5CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ali, N. L. (2013). A changing paradigm in language planning: English-medium instruction policy at the tertiary level in Malaysia. Current Issues in Language Planning, 14(1), 73–92. https://doi.org/10.1080/14664208.2013.775543CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alkhudair, R. Y. (2019). Professors’ and undergraduate students’ perceptions and attitudes toward the use of code-switching and its function in academic classrooms. International Journal of English Linguistics, 9(6), 160–171. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v9n6p160CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baker, W., & Hüttner, J. (2016). English and more: A multisite study of roles and conceptualisations of language in English medium multilingual universities from Europe to Asia. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 38(6), 501–516. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2016.1207183CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baker, W., & Hüttner, J. (2019). ‘We are not the language police’: Comparing multilingual EMI programmes in Europe and Asia. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 29(1), 78–94. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.12246CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Başıbek, N., Dolmacı, M., Cengiz, B. C., Bür, B., Dilek, Y., & Kara, B. (2014). Lecturers’ perceptions of English medium instruction at engineering departments of higher education: A study on partial English medium instruction at some state universities in Turkey. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 116, 1819–1825. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.477CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brenn-White, M., & Faethe, E. (2013). English-taught master's programs in Europe: A 2013 update. Institute of International Education.Google Scholar
Cho, D. W. (2012). English-medium instruction in the university context of Korea: Trade-off between teaching outcomes and media-initiated university ranking. The Journal of Asia TEFL, 9(4), 135–163.Google Scholar
Chou, M. H. (2018). Speaking anxiety and strategy use for learning English as a foreign language in full and partial English-medium instruction contexts. TESOL Quarterly, 52(3), 611–633. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.455CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cogo, A. (2017). ELF and multilingualism. In J. Jenkins, W. Baker & M. Dewey (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of English as a lingua franca (pp. 357–368). Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coleman, J., Hultgren, K., Li, W., Tsui, C., & Shaw, P. (2018). Forum on English-medium instruction. TESOL Quarterly, 52(3), 701–720. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.469CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Costa, F. (2012). Focus on form in ICLHE lectures in Italy: Evidence from English-medium science lectures by native speakers of Italian. AILA Review, 25(1), 30–47. https://doi.org/10.1075/aila.25.03cosCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dafouz, E., & Smit, U. (2016). Towards a dynamic conceptual framework for English-medium education in multilingual university settings. Applied Linguistics, 37(3), 397–415. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amu034CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ellili-Cherif, M., & Alkhateeb, H. (2015). College students’ attitude toward the medium of instruction: Arabic versus English dilemma. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 3(3), 207–213. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2015.030306CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Escobar Urmeneta, C. (2013). Learning to become a CLIL teacher: Teaching, reflection and professional development. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 16(3), 334–353. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2013.777389CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Esser, F., & Vliegenthart, R. (2017). Comparative research methods. In The international encyclopedia of communication research methods (pp. 1–22). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118901731.iecrm0035Google Scholar
Evans, S. (2000). Hong Kong's new English language policy in education. World Englishes, 1(2), 185–204. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-971X.00168CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Evans, S. (2017). Language policy in Hong Kong education: A historical overview. European Journal of Language Policy, 9(1), 67–84. https://doi.org/10.3828/ejlp.2017.5CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Evans, S., & Morrison, B. (2011). Meeting the challenges of English-medium higher education: The first-year experience in Hong Kong. English for Specific Purposes, 30(3), 198–208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2011.01.001CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fortanet-Gómez, I. (2012). Academics’ beliefs about language use and proficiency in spanish multilingual higher education. AILA Review, 25(1), 48–63. https://doi.org/10.1075/aila.25.04forCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Galloway, N., & Ruegg, R. (2020). The provision of student support on English Medium instruction programmes in Japan and China. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 45, 100846, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2020.100846CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Galloway, N., Kriukow, J., & Numajiri, T. (2017). Internationalisation, higher education and the growing demand for English: An investigation into the English medium of instruction (EMI) movement in China and Japan. British Council.Google Scholar
Hahl, K., Järvinen, H. M., & Juuti, K. (2016). Accommodating to English-medium instruction in teacher education in Finland. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 26(3), 291–310. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.12093CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hu, G. (2009). The craze for English-medium education in China: Driving forces and looming consequences. English Today, 25(4), 47–54. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266078409990472CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hu, G., & Duan, Y. (2019). Questioning and responding in the classroom: A cross-disciplinary study of the effects of instructional mediums in academic subjects at a Chinese university. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 22(3), 303–321. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2018.1493084CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hu, G., & Lei, J. (2014). English-medium instruction in Chinese higher education: A case study. Higher Education, 67(5), 551–567. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-013-9661-5CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hu, G., Li, L., & Lei, J. (2014). English-medium instruction at a Chinese university: Rhetoric and reality. Language Policy, 13(1), 21–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10993-013-9298-3CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Humphreys, P. (2017). EMI in anglophone nations: Contradiction in terms or cause for consideration? In Fenton-Smith, B., Humphreys, P., & Walkinshaw, I. (Eds.), English Medium instruction in higher education in Asia-pacific: From policy to pedagogy (pp. 93–114). Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jenkins, J., & Mauranen, A. (2019). Linguistic diversity on the EMI campus: Insider accounts of the use of English and other languages in universities within Asia, Australasia and Europe. Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jensen, C., & Thøgersen, J. (2011). Danish university lecturers’ attitudes towards English as the medium of instruction. Ibérica, 22, 13–34.Google Scholar
Jiang, L., Zhang, L. J., & May, S. (2019). Implementing English-medium instruction (EMI) in China: Teachers’ practices and perceptions, and students’ learning motivation and needs. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 22(2), 107–119. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2016.1231166CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jowell, R. (1998). How comparative is comparative research? American Behavioral Scientist, 42(2), 168–177. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764298042002004CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kim, E. G., Kweon, S. O., & Kim, J. (2017). Korean engineering students’ perceptions of English-medium instruction (EMI) and L1 use in EMI classes. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 38(2), 130–145. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2016.1177061CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kırkgöz, Y. (2005). Motivation and student perception in an English-medium instruction. Journal of Languages and Linguistic Studies, 1(1), 101–123.Google Scholar
Kırkgöz, Y. (2014). Students’ perceptions of English language versus turkish language used as the medium of instruction in higher education in Turkey. Turkish Studies, 9(12), 443–459. http://dx.doi.org/10.7827/TurkishStudies.7596CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kirkpatrick, A. (2011). English as an Asian lingua franca and the multilingual model of ELT. Language Teaching, 44(2), 212–224. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444810000145CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kuteeva, M. (2019). Revisiting the ‘E’ in EMI: Students’ perceptions of standard English, lingua franca and translingual practices. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 23(3), 287–300. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2019.1637395CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lam, D. M. K., Green, A., Murray, N., & Gayton, A. (2021). How are IELTS scores set and used for university admissions selection: A cross-institutional case study, IELTS Research Reports Online Series, No. 3. British Council, Cambridge Assessment English and IDP: IELTS Australia. https://www.ielts.org/teaching-and-research/research-reportsGoogle Scholar
Lei, J., & Hu, G. (2014). Is English-medium instruction effective in improving Chinese undergraduate students’ English competence? IRAL - International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 52(2), 99–126. https://doi.org/10.1515/iral-2014-0005CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liddicoat, A. (2016). Language planning in universities: Teaching, research and administration. Current Issues in Language Planning, 17(3-4), 231–241. https://doi.org/10.1080/14664208.2016.1216351CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lin, H. Y. (2020). Perceptions of the Englishization of higher education in Taiwan: Implementation and implications. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 23(5), 617–634. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2019.1579778CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lo, Y. Y. (2020). Professional development of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) teachers. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.12353Google Scholar
Lo, Y. Y., & Lo, E. S. C. (2014). A meta-analysis of the effectiveness of English-medium education in Hong Kong. Review of Educational Research, 84(1), 47–73. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654313499615CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Macaro, E., Curle, S., Pun, J., An, J., & Dearden, J. (2018). A systematic review of English medium instruction in higher education. Language Teaching, 51(1), 36–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Macaro, E. (2020). Exploring the role of language in English medium instruction. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 23(3), 263–276. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2019.1620678CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Macaro, E., & Akincioglu, M. (2018). Turkish university students’ perceptions about English medium instruction: Exploring year group, gender and university type as variables. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 39(3), 256–270. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2017.1367398CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Macaro, E., Akincioglu, M., & Dearden, J. (2016). English medium instruction in universities: A collaborative experiment in Turkey. Studies in English Language Teaching, 4(1), 51–76. https://doi.org/10.22158/selt.v4n1p51CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Macaro, E., Akincioglu, M., & Han, S. (2020a). English medium instruction in higher education: Teacher perspectives on professional development and certification. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 30(1), 144–157. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.12272CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Macaro, E., & Han, S. (2020). English medium instruction in China's higher education: Teachers’ perspectives of competencies, certification and professional development. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 41(3), 219–231. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2019.1611838CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Macaro, E., Jiménez-Muñoz, A., & Lasagabaster, D. (2019). The importance of certification of English medium instruction teachers in higher education in Spain. Porta Linguarum, 32, 103–118.Google Scholar
Macaro, E., Tian, L., & Chu, L. (2020b). First and second language use in English medium instruction contexts. Language Teaching Research, 24(3), 382–402. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168818783231CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mazak, C. M., & Herbas-Donoso, C. (2014). Translanguaging practices and language ideologies in Puerto Rican university science education. Critical Inquiry in Language Studies, 11(1), 27–49. https://doi.org/10.1080/15427587.2014.871622CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Park, E. Y. (2013). An exploration of teachers’ perceptions regarding the professional needs of English immersion teachers in korea. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation), Indiana University.Google Scholar
Peat, J. (2015). Getting down to the nitty-gritty: The trials and tribulations of an institutional professional recognition scheme. Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, 19(3), 92–95. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603108.2015.1029999Google Scholar
Pecorari, D., & Malmström, H. (2018). At the crossroads of TESOL and English medium instruction. TESOL Quarterly, 52(3), 497–515. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.470CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pecorari, D., Shaw, P., Irvine, A., & Malmstöm, H. (2011). English for academic purposes at Swedish universities: Teachers’ objectives and practices. Ibérica, 22, 55–78.Google Scholar
Poon, A. Y. (2013). Will the new fine-tuning medium-of-instruction policy alleviate the threats of dominance of English-medium instruction in Hong Kong? Current Issues in Language Planning, 14(1), 34–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/14664208.2013.791223CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pramod, K. S. (2020). English medium instruction in South Asian's multilingual schools: Unpacking the dynamics of ideological orientations, policy/practices, and democratic questions. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2020.1718591Google Scholar
Qiu, X., & Fang, C. (2019). Creating an effective English-medium instruction (EMI) classroom: Chinese undergraduate students’ perceptions of native and nonnative English-speaking content teachers and their experiences. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2019.1707769Google Scholar
Richards, J. C., & Pun, J. (2021). A typology of English-medium instruction. RELC Journal. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688220968584Google Scholar
Roothooft, H. (2019). Spanish lecturers’ beliefs about English medium instruction: STEM versus humanities. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2019.1707768Google Scholar
Rose, H., & McKinley, J. (2018). Japan's English-medium instruction initiatives and the globalization of higher education. Higher Education, 75(1), 111–129. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-017-0125-1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rose, H., McKinley, J., Xu, X., & Zhou, S. (2020). Investigating policy and implementation of English medium instruction in higher education institutions in China. British Council.Google Scholar
Sahan, K., Mikolajewska, A., Rose, H., Macaro, E., Searle, M., Aizawa, I., Zhou, S., & Veitch, A. (2021). Global mapping of English as a medium of instruction in higher education: 2020 and beyond. British Council.Google Scholar
Sandström, A. M., & Neghina, C. (2017). English-taught bachelor's programmes: Internationalising European higher education. European Association for International EducationGoogle Scholar
Sert, N. (2008). The language of instruction dilemma in the turkish context. System, 36(2), 156–171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2007.11.006CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tarnopolsky, O. B., & Goodman, B. A. (2014). The ecology of language in classrooms at a university in eastern Ukraine. Language and Education, 28(4), 383–396. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2014.890215CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Trenkic, D., & Warmington, M. (2019). Language and literacy skills of home and international university students: How different are they, and does it matter? Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 22(2), 349–365. https://doi.org/10.1017/S136672891700075XCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vinke, A. A., Snippe, J., & Jochems, W. (1998). English-medium content courses in Non-English higher education: A study of lecturer experiences and teaching behaviours. Teaching in Higher Education, 3(3), 383–394. https://doi.org/10.1080/1356215980030307CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wächter, B., & Maiworm, F. (2008). English-taught programmes in European higher education. The picture in 2007. Lemmens.Google Scholar
Wächter, B., & Maiworm, F. (2014). English-taught programmes in European higher education. The state of play in 2014. Lemmens.Google Scholar
Wang, W., & Curdt-Christiansen, X. L. (2019). Translanguaging in a Chinese–English bilingual education programme: A university-classroom ethnography. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 22(3), 322–337. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2018.1526254CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilkinson, R., & Walsh, M. L. (2015). Integrating content and language in higher education: From theory to practice selected papers from the 2013 ICLHE conference. Peter Lang.CrossRefGoogle Scholar