IMPLEMENTING EMI AT A RUSSIAN UNIVERSITY: A STUDY OF CONTENT LECTURERS’ PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

The process of internationalization in the sphere of higher education has been gaining momentum on the global scale since the 1990s, with English becoming its major communication tool. English as a medium of instruction (EMI) in universities has received a fair amount of researchers’ attention. However, academic press contains little information on research into EMI in Russia. The aim of this case study was to investigate practices of a Russian university regarding the use of English in teaching specialist disciplines and to explore its EMI lecturers’ needs and challenges against the backdrop of the process of internationalization in Russian higher education. The research method applied was a self-administered web-questionnaire; the target group included 72 members of the University faculty who teach their courses through English. The article presents the university’s policy on EMI analysis and discussion of one of the key stakeholders’- university lecturers’ characteristics and perspectives. The findings reflect the existence of challenges which institutions and staff face in the drive to internationalize, which are similar to those observed in some other countries. Tentative suggestions are offered to ways of addressing the situation and to further investigations of the EMI phenomenon in Russia.