Implementation Of English Medium Instruction Research Articles

The neoliberal coloniality of EMI in Hong Kong higher education: insights from online stancetaking

Abstract While the implementation of English-medium instruction (EMI) in many elite universities is established as common sense, it is fraught with challenges and contradictions. In post-colonial multilingual contexts such as Hong Kong, we argue that EMI is sustained by neoliberal coloniality, whereby its status as an enduring legacy of the hegemonic colonial order is maintained by contemporary neoliberal imperatives. From a stancetaking perspective we examine how members of the public take up stances on EMI on an online forum, in response to an initial thread openly criticising its use on a social work programme at a Hong Kong university. Our analysis of 480 posts shows a range of stances with regard to three recurrent themes, namely practicality, flexibility and fairness. The findings indicate that EMI attracted strong affective rejection from some due to perceived impracticality and inflexibility in its implementation, as well as issues of inclusion in relation to students’ different linguistic repertoires. Conversely, they also reveal deeply entrenched ideologies supporting the use of EMI, most notably for its purported practicality and promised benefits. We conclude by reflecting on the value of stancetaking in understanding ideology and the specific ideological and practical implications of EMI in Hong Kong.

Exploring the Multifaceted Landscape of English-Medium Instruction: Students' Perspectives and Challenges at the University of Kutai Kartanegara

This mixed-methods study investigated students' perceptions of using English as a Foreign Language (EFL) as a medium of instruction at the University of Kutai Kartanegara. Data were collected through a questionnaire (n=25) and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative results showed an overall positive perception, with a mean score of 71.38 on the questionnaire. However, qualitative findings revealed nuances in students' experiences. While most enjoyed learning English and appreciated lecturers' engaging teaching styles, some faced difficulties with comprehension due to lecturers' delivery or their students’ proficiency levels. Students had varied engagement in extracurricular English activities. Interactions in English with lecturers facilitated language development, but peer interactions were limited. Most deemed English suitable for language classes but had concerns about its exclusive use in non-language courses given varying proficiencies. Lecturers employed motivational strategies like emphasizing English's importance and suggesting practical activities, but implementation of English-medium instruction was inconsistent. Benefits included improving skills like presentations and vocabulary, but challenges included inadequate proficiency, lack of motivation, workload concerns, and limited materials. The research contributes valuable insights for policymakers, educators, and researchers in English language education and international higher education, emphasizing the importance of creating inclusive learning environments that support both language acquisition and academic content mastery.

Influence of enhanced self-efficacy on English performance through English medium instruction: a mixed methods research

The adoption of English-Medium Instruction (EMI) has gained global traction, spurred on by higher education internationalization trends. Despite the widespread usage of EMI, its influence on students’ language development remains relatively unexplored. This study investigated the impact of EMI instruction on the self-efficacy and English performance of Taiwanese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) undergraduates. The research aimed to discern whether EMI courses improve EFL undergraduates’ self-efficacy and how this self-efficacy can predict English performance. 272 Taiwanese EFL undergraduates were recruited for the study, and all of them joined the EMI courses for at least one semester. Data collection instruments included a revised questionnaire and TOEIC test, and a mixed approach was applied for data analyses. Quantitative analyses of repeated measure of ANOVA revealed a significant enhancement in the students’ self-efficacy across all four English skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) following EMI instruction. Moreover, the regression analysis established a moderate to strong positive relationship between English self-efficacy and English performance. The qualitative analysis of structured interview specifically elaborated on what participants’ attitudes were toward the implementation of EMI. These findings underscore the positive influence of EMI instruction on EFL undergraduates’ English self-efficacy and performance, substantiating the role of self-efficacy as a significant predictor of performance. These insights offer valuable implications for curriculum design, learner motivation, and academic success in EFL contexts.

Exploring the nexus of variables in English-medium instruction research: a comprehensive global meta-analysis

ABSTRACT The primary objective of this study is to conduct a comprehensive meta-analysis of English-medium instruction (EMI) literature, addressing the significant gap in quantitative evaluations within existing research. By analysing 47 empirical studies employing statistical methods, this research aims to uncover broader trends and correlations within EMI data. Specifically, the study investigates correlations for various factors, such as measurement outcomes and academic subjects. It also examines the influence of different research methodologies on reported correlation coefficients, assessing how methodological choices shape observed relationships in EMI studies. Key findings reveal that perceived academic performance and perceived English language proficiency exhibit the highest effect sizes, underscoring the importance of students' perceptions in EMI success. Conversely, actual academic performance, actual English language proficiency, motivation, and affective factors show small correlations, highlighting areas for pedagogical improvement. Self-efficacy demonstrates a medium correlation, indicating its significant role. Computer Science stands out with the highest effect size, suggesting discipline-specific variations in EMI effectiveness. Different measurement tools, including questionnaires and standardised tests, generally show small correlations, indicating a need for more refined assessment instruments in future EMI research. This meta-analysis provides crucial insights for enhancing EMI implementation and assessment, contributing to the broader discourse on educational strategies in multilingual settings.

Personal narratives of three EMI teachers: construction of their identities based on their experiential development

ABSTRACT This study focuses on English-medium instruction (EMI) teacher development in the specific context of a technical university in Spain, where English-medium instruction has been adopted swiftly but irregularly over the past decade. In contexts where EMI implementation relies mainly on bottom-up initiatives, its success largely depends on the preparedness of content lecturers, which is why attention must be paid to lecturers’ experiential development. In order to understand how EMI lecturers view themselves, their teaching practices and their impact, we analyse the personal narratives of three effective EMI lecturers as they reflect on their lived experiences. The approach taken in this study is that of narrative inquiry, with the purpose of understanding the extent to which teachers’ experience and perceived identity relate to their teaching behaviour. Findings shed light on different experiential journeys and EMI lecturer profiles. These narratives help us gain insight that can inform EMI teacher trainers and institutions on how to bridge the gap between individual, volunteering approaches to EMI and scalable actions for institutionally implemented and quality EMI.

English Medium Instruction in Higher Education: Global Trends, Challenges, and the Call for Multilingual Approaches

This review article examines the widespread adoption of English Medium Instruction (EMI) in higher education, driven by globalization and the need to prepare students for the international job market. While EMI aims to enhance English proficiency and academic and employment prospects, it also presents challenges in terms of linguistic equity, pedagogical effectiveness, and the academic success of students. Through a synthesis of research, this review explores the implications and challenges of EMI and scrutinizes the assumption that EMI inherently improves English proficiency alongside content learning. The article also critiques the monolingual ideology of EMI policies and advocates for the recent call by researchers for a multilingual approach that includes translanguaging practices to better accommodate the linguistic diversity of student populations. In doing so, it highlights the need for a critical reassessment of EMI implementation based on the suggestion that by integrating students’ wider linguistic resources, EMI can evolve from its monolingual origins to embrace a more effective and equitable multilingual framework.

Learners’ motivation caught between the interplay of policy and practice: a case study of an EMI medical program in China

ABSTRACT The past few decades have seen a boom in English-medium instruction (EMI) in Chinese universities. Despite growing research interest in EMI policy and practices in China, little is known about how students’ motivation to study in the EMI programs is influenced by EMI policy and its implementation at the meso and micro levels. This study addresses this gap by examining an EMI program at a Chinese medical college. Through a survey of 118 students and interviews with 10 students and 6 teachers, we investigated students' EMI learning motivation, how and why it changed over time, and different stakeholders’ perceptions of the EMI implementation. The questionnaire and interview data were triangulated with textual analysis results of institutional EMI policy documents. It was found that students’ motivation generally declined over the course of EMI study and was often influenced by implementation factors such as pedagogical practices, assessment-related policies, and incentive strategies. Interactions and contradictions between the EMI policy goals, EMI implementation at different levels and students’ motivation change were also analyzed through the Activity Theory lens to shed light on how higher education institutions could better sustain students’ EMI motivation and enhance the quality of EMI programs.

Bridging Content and Language in English-medium Engineering Programs

English-medium Instruction (EMI) is increasingly being implemented in diverse educational settings where English is not the primary language. However, a persistent challenge of EMI implementation lies in the scarcity of high-quality EMI teaching materials that effectively enhance both content knowledge and language acquisition. This study aimed to investigate how language is integrated with content in EMI lessons and to assess their efficacy. The study involved three Civil Engineering teachers, three language teachers, and 102 students. Data collection instruments comprised journals kept by content and language teachers during the EMI materials development process, pre-tests and post-tests, satisfaction surveys, and semi-structured interviews. The quantitative results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-tests, while content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. Results revealed that students expressed high satisfaction with the materials, noting increased participation in EMI classes, enhanced content comprehension, and heightened awareness of language use in lessons. Nonetheless, the design process of EMI materials is intricate, non-linear, time-consuming, and demanding of pedagogical expertise. While collaborative efforts between content and language teachers have appeared promising in theory, practical implementation in real contexts has proven to be challenging. It is recommended that the EMI materials developers possess pedagogical knowledge on content and language teaching, recognize the iterative and complex nature of the material design process, and the need for ongoing communication with the respective to enhance the success of the collaboration.

Students’ Perceptions of English Medium Instruction (EMI) in Secondary School Bilingual Classes: A Case Study

In contemporary international secondary education in Indonesia, English-Medium Instruction (EMI) has gained popularity and expanded into a rising global phenomenon. Recognizing this phenomenon and the importance of English language skills for students from an early age, this study aims to investigate the perceptions of junior high school students in bilingual classes on the use of EMI in schools. A qualitative research design in the form of a case study was adopted in this study. It involved thirteen (13) junior high school students (2 males, 11 females) of two bilingual class programs at a private junior high school in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. Data were collected through questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and an FGD (forum group discussion) session. The findings indicate that all participants show positive perceptions of the EMI implementation in terms of the importance of EMI for Learning, the importance of EMI for career, and the use of EMI associated with the preservation of tradition issue. This study also reveals the obstacles that are often faced in the use of EMI such as a lack of understanding of technical terms in the content course and teachers' low proficiency in English. Therefore, it is expected that this study will offer recommendations from the perspectives of EFL practitioners in order to optimize the advantages of the EMI policy in an EFL context.

A multilingualism-as-resource approach in a graduate-level English-medium instruction (EMI) program at a Korean university

ABSTRACT The trend of internationalisation of education has resulted in the wider implementation of English Medium Instruction (EMI) programmes in education, especially at the tertiary level. While some of these programmes adopted strict English-dominant policies, others embraced flexible bilingual or multilingual policies to ensure students’ learning and wellbeing. This study explored international graduate students’ learning and languaging experiences in an EMI graduate classroom with flexible multilingual policies in a Korean university. Data included field notes, students’ work and language samples, and focus group interviews with students. Using thematic analysis of qualitative data, the authors reported that students’ experiences with multilingualism as a resource approach were mostly productive since it created third spaces for the participants to deploy their multilingual resources to construct, promote and demonstrate learning in their class reports. Participants also reported increased compassion for each other through collaborative learning and enhanced understanding of both home and new languages during their studies in the graduate programme that was mediated through multiple languages. This study offered implications for EMI practitioners, higher education institutions, and policymakers regarding language planning, language policy, and language support in EMI contexts.

English-medium instruction (EMI) as the great (un)equaliser: experiences of former EMI students in Turkey

ABSTRACT English-medium instruction (EMI) has gained traction in Turkey in recent decades. However, strict English proficiency requirements at EMI universities pose a problem for many students, whose English skills are much below the level required for EMI. These challenges cause some students to drop out of EMI and lead to an elite appropriation of EMI universities, thus perpetuating already existing inequities in Turkish higher education and society at large. However, little is known about barriers to EMI education. Understanding student experiences in this pipeline is important to shed light on how EMI contributes to social inequities. This study uses a Bourdieusian framework and a phenomenological design to explore the experiences of students who dropped out of a Turkish EMI university. Data were collected through 90-minute semi-structured interviews with five former EMI students. The results indicated that while the participants leveraged several forms of capital throughout their time at the focal EMI university, the mismatch between the capital possessed by the participants and that expected and endorsed by the EMI university alienated the participants, leading them to drop out eventually. The discussion includes implications for EMI policy and suggestions for context-driven EMI implementation.

Enhancing EMI pedagogical curricula to prepare pre‐service English teachers for socioculturally diverse classrooms

AbstractWith the rise of English as a global academic lingua franca, the implementation of English medium instruction (EMI) in South Korea's higher education system has grown substantially. This mixed‐methods study contributes to the scholarship on EMI policy and practice by drawing on data from the training experiences and self‐assessment of 327 pre‐service English teachers (PSETs) regarding their preparation to serve as secondary English teachers, the latter being key to high school students’ achievement in higher education. We examine teachers’ English competencies and explore their challenges and associated needs in implementing EMI for their professional success. Our quantitative analysis shows that, for PSETs, English‐speaking skills are the most challenging aspect of learning and teaching English. Moreover, current opportunities to improve their English proficiency through EMI courses appear to be inadequate. Subsequent analysis shows that English proficiency serves as a significant mediator of the association between EMI satisfaction and self‐efficacy about teaching English through English. Our qualitative analysis further confirms that PSETs have less exposure than expected to language‐related resources in their educational context, and they express a need for greater knowledge of student well‐being and linguistic and cultural diversity. We provide a set of recommendations to enhance the quality of EMI policies and curricula, including offering tailored language modules to develop well‐qualified secondary English teachers.

The Implementation of English Medium Instruction (EMI) at the Public Secondary Schools in South Sulawesi Indonesia: Students’ Voices

This article presents analysis and discussion of research data focusing on the students’ attitudes and perceptions of EMI program implementation strategies in the secondary schools level in South Sulawesi Province. Three Public International Standard Schools that run EMI and non-EMI Programs were selected as sample of the study. The data has been drawn from student questionnaire responses and student group interviews. Seventy seven (77) EMI students and 84 non-EMI students completed the questionnaire. Eight students from each school were selected as focus group interview participants. The data from questionnaire was analysed using SPSS Program, and the data from focus group interview was analysed using NVivo software. The study found that the Chi-square test result suggests that in these three schools, EMI and non-EMI programs have significant differences in their preferences (p=0.000). EMI students preferred the EMI program and non-EMI students preferred non-EMI programs. Futhermore, the students said they experienced difficulties studied in the program. Despite the fact that students experienced difficulties in coping with the new learning situation in the EMI program, the majority felt satisfied with the program because they realised there were some benefits. The students interview responses also highlighted three factors detracting from EMI program implementation: lack of teachers’ language support; lack of English environment in the school; and bilingual learning materials. Detailed findings will be presented and their implications discussed.

Lecturers’ Perspectives on English Medium Instruction (EMI): Implications for Professional Development

Purpose: Turkish universities have increasingly embraced English Medium Instruction (EMI) as a teaching approach, which is a part of a global push to internationalize higher education. This present study examines the perspectives of 30 EMI lecturers working at universities in Turkey, emphasizing the role of EMI in the internationalization of higher education. The study aims to explore how these lecturers perceive EMI and how they engage with it, identifying both commonalities in their perspectives and the challenges they encounter. Methodology: In this qualitative case study, purposive sampling was used to select the EMI lecturers from universities in Turkey. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews, allowing for in-depth exploration of lecturers' perspectives and their insights. Content analysis, focusing on the complexities and nuances of EMI implementation, was used to systematically examine and interpret the themes emerging from the interviews. Findings: The study identifies the key benefits of EMI as the increasing access to scientific knowledge, improved career prospects, and enhanced English proficiency. However, EMI also brings significant challenges, such as the difficulty of instruction in a foreign language, additional time requirements compared to Turkish Medium instruction (TMI), and issues related to terminology and cultural integration. These challenges underscore the need for targeted professional development to fully incorporate EMI's potential in improving higher education. Highlights: EMI increases access to global scholarly resources and encourages the development of English proficiency in accordance with international academic standards. It promotes global competitiveness among graduates, providing significant career and academic opportunities. Challenges include linguistic barriers in teaching and learning and intensive preparation time. The study advocates for specific professional development programs to effectively address the pedagogical and linguistic challenges of EMI. Future implications are discussed, and suggestions are offered to help with implementation.

English medium instruction (EMI) in Moroccan secondary schools: Science teachers’ perception

The present study explored a small-scale English medium instruction (EMI) initiative in Moroccan secondary schools, which is part of a top-down multilingual policy based on teaching science subjects through foreign languages, namely French, English, and Spanish. 18 secondary EMI teachers of math, physics and life and earth sciences were interviewed in order to understand the new policy. Following grounded theory (GT) methodology, the findings show positive attitudes towards the implementation of EMI in Moroccan education, but the teachers seemed unsatisfied with the way it has been implemented. They thought science teachers were not prepared for such a new tendency. The study also revealed that teachers’ low English proficiency was considered the major challenge to the successful implementation of EMI in Moroccan secondary schools and the essential reason behind using the first language in the EMI classroom. To prepare future generations for extending EMI in the Moroccan education, the teachers called for a switch to English as the first foreign language, instead of French, in all levels of schooling, and suggested gradual introduction of EMI in primary and middle schools. The study ends with some implications for overcoming the challenges of the new policy.

“A smooth transition or a giant leap?” The challenges posed by the transition from secondary education to higher education in relation to EMI in Sri Lanka

Although bilingual education has been offered in some schools of Sri Lanka since 2001, primary and secondary school education has been conducted mainly in the first language (L1), that is, Sinhala/Tamil. As a result, most students sit for the General Certificate of Education – Advanced Level (GCE (A/L) examination, which determines university entry, in their L1. Thus, the majority of students entering state universities do so after receiving their entire education in their L1. At the tertiary level, where many (if not most) degree programs are conducted in the English medium, students struggle to make the transition from Sinhala/Tamil medium instruction to English medium instruction (EMI). This study examines the challenges faced by students and lecturers in three selected state universities due to this language transition. It employs a qualitative research design. Data were collected through official documents and semi-structured interviews with forty academics. Three focus group interviews were conducted with thirty undergraduates. In addition, eighteen non-participant lectures were observed in mainstream classrooms. The findings indicate several structural, institutional, and linguistic challenges on the way to a successful implementation of EMI in state universities and demonstrate that the transition from GCE (A/L) to EMI in universities is a challenging experience for both students and lecturers. We propose that the concept of academic literacies be used as a productive means of supporting undergraduates through their transition to EMI.

EMI teachers’ agency in the context of international education in China: language choice, identity construction, and cultural negotiation

ABSTRACT English medium instruction (EMI) has now become a ubiquitous education phenomenon due to the driving force of globalization and the prospective socioeconomic benefits associated with English proficiency. Although expanding rapidly in higher education, EMI in secondary education is a much less researched area. Specifically, EMI teachers’ agency in the implementation of EMI has remained relatively less known. This study, informed by an extended framework on teacher agency, seeks to investigate how such agency has been manifested while the EMI teachers address various tensions and contradictions in the course of implementing EMI. Drawing on qualitative interviews and classroom observations in an international high school in Shenzhen, China, it reveals that the participants have exhibited moderately high levels of agency by constructing themselves as translanguagers who orchestrate different languages and meaning-making resources, jugglers of the roles of content teachers and L2 teachers, as well as duty-bond multicultural educators who negotiate the international curriculum to accommodate local educational and cultural mandates. The study calls for reconceptualizing EMI as a translanguaging space for the teachers to act as culturally responsive agents qua multilingual educators featuring multiple identities.

English for Specific Purposes, English Proficiency, and Academic Achievement in English-Medium Instruction: A Mediation Analysis

The implementation of English-Medium Instruction (EMI) at higher education institutions pose challenges for the students in achieving content mastery and improving English proficiency as the two most expected outcomes. English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is designed to provide English and learning support for EMI students in achieving the EMI “dual benefits.” This study aimed to examine the relationship between ESP, English proficiency, and academic achievement of EMI students at a university in Indonesia and the mediating effect of English proficiency on the relationship between ESP and academic achievement. This quantitative study employed empirical institutional data about ESP course grades, English proficiency scores, and the overall grade point average of 246 EMI students at a faculty of social science at a state university in Indonesia. A regression analysis using a process by Hayes was performed as the analytical tool. It was found that ESP positively predicted both EMI students’ academic achievement and English proficiency. English proficiency was shown to partially mediate the relationship between ESP and the academic achievement of the EMI students. Both ESP and English proficiency is crucial in enhancing the EMI students’ disciplinary knowledge understanding. Recommendations for more collaborations and language and learningsupports and further studies are provided.
 Keywords: English for Specific Purposes, English proficiency, academic achievement, English-Medium Instruction, higher education

A Review of English-medium Instruction in South Korean High Education

The implementation of English-medium instruction (EMI) has encountered challenges and difficulties at all levels of education and diversity around the world, particularly in high education. To gain a broader sense of the EMI implementation environment, this study, taking existing EMI studies in South Korean universities as its reference, examined the following questions: (1) What are the contents of the Korean HE EMI classroom? (2) What are Korean HE EMI classrooms like? (3) What are the attitudes towards EMI from the research? Based on an analysis of 40 empirical studies from 2008 to 2020, the results show that the contents are mainly in engineering-related majors crossing different academic years; the South Korean EMI classroom is challenging in the following three main binary relations: lecturing vs. verbal participation/interactive activities, students' higher vs. lower English proficiency, and achievements in English proficiency vs. content knowledge, which are also the universal challenges in the EFL EMI environment; and the attitudes, perceptions, and motivations of both students and professors were positive in general. This paper expects to provide references for future EFL EMI studies in different environments.

“Physically I was there, but my mind had gone somewhere else”: Probing the emotional side of English-medium instruction

Emotions are vital for one's thinking, acting, and experiencing of self and life. There has been substantial research undertaken on the role of emotions in teaching and learning in educational settings; however, the emotional dimension of English-medium instruction (EMI) has yet to be understood. Informed by a post-structuralist perspective, the present study seeks to address the dearth of scholarship in this area by investigating what emotions a group of mainland Chinese students experience and how they perceive and navigate such emotions in an EMI teacher education program at a Macau university. Data collected through narrative frames and follow-up interviews reveal complex and mixed emotions experienced by the participants in the EMI courses. Particularly, they were subject to high emotional labor caused by an unsystematic, ineffective approach to EMI implementation mediated by a corporatized discourse in higher education. The study ends with implications for EMI teachers and administrators in higher education.