Academic English and EMI in the Asia Pacific: Complexities, Opportunities and Outcomes

Abstract

A rise in English-medium instruction (EMI) in higher education (HE) in multilingual nations of the Asia Pacific region appears integral to the growth and internationalisation of the sector. While reflecting global trends and cementing the status of the language as the global academic lingua franca, the nature of academic English has been accorded insufficient consideration in discussions and implementation of language in education policies in the region. Currently, governments and institutions are faced with the need to strike a balance between coherent implementation of EMI policies and promotion of local languages in academic activities. To do so, opportunities presented by the language in terms of economic development and connectivity should be weighed alongside implications for the vitality of local approaches to scholarship and languages of education, for institutional and individual participation in HE, and for the identities of language users in the region. This chapter considers current developments in HE language policy in the Asia Pacific, including the benefits and challenges associated with increased EMI, and explores the complex nature of globalised academia and the multiple factors influencing language use and multilingualism at national, institutional and individual levels.