English as a medium of instruction in higher education
Five major challenges for universities
The interest in using English as a medium of instruction (EMI) is gaining popularity in many universities in countries where English is not the native language of most of the population.
In Europe, for instance, it has been reported that Scandinavia and Netherlands have switched to English in teaching STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) courses. In Asia, using EMI to teach academic subjects in universities can be found in many countries such as China, Japan and Malaysia.
Rationales for EMI
There are three major practical reasons why many universities today are placing a lot of emphasis on EMI.
👁🗨 The first is to improve their students’ English language proficiency. The assumption is that by teaching selected courses in English, students will receive more exposure to the language and more opportunities to use the language which indirectly will help to enhance their English proficiency.
👁🗨 The second concerns the status of English as the lingua franca in the academic world. As the majority of academic publications are written in English, it is thought that it would be easier for academics to teach and for students to learn the subjects.
👁🗨 The third reason is economic. Teaching academic subjects in English is seen as a way to attract more international students which in turn helps to increase the universities’ revenue.
With the rising competition for international students, EMI could certainly offer a good avenue to attract the students. In China, for instance, its EMI policies have been demonstrated to be crucial for its internationalisation of higher education.
As far as the role of EMI as an internationalisation strategy is concerned, there seems to be no major dispute. The main issue with EMI is whether or not it can improve students’ English proficiency. To what extent does teaching academic subjects in English actually benefit students’ English language proficiency? How prepared are the universities in implementing EMI policies?
Factors to be considered
There are many factors that must be considered in the implementation of EMI in non-native English countries. These include:
1. Students’ attitudes and motivation towards EMI
2. Students’ level of English language proficiency.
3. Lecturers’ level of English language proficiency
4. Lecturers’ ability to teach EMI courses effectively
5. Institutional support for EMI
Past studies have shown that students’ attitudes and motivation can influence the success of learning. Students with positive attitudes and motivation tend to learn better.
Students’ level of proficiency also matters. Some studies have shown that students with a low level of proficiency may struggle to follow such courses resulting in underachievement in both English language acquisition as well as content learning.
Similarly, attention must be paid to the lecturers involved in EMI courses. They must have an acceptable level of English language proficiency and must know the pedagogical techniques of teaching EMI courses especially in terms of explaining and questioning in English.
A past study by Robinah Kyeyune on challenges of using EMI in Uganda provides a good example of how teachers’ use of English can frustrate students’ learning instead of facilitating them.
Lecturers must also be aware of the their students’ possible difficulties and offer appropriate scaffolding where necessary. For this reason, institutional support is vital. For instance, lecturers should be given sufficient training to enhance not just their English language proficiency but also to improve their pedagogical skills in teaching EMI courses. Collaborations between content experts and language specialists should also be initiated and practiced.
What should universities do?
✅ While the rationales for EMI are understandable, there should be a thorough understanding by policy makers of the gaps and needs of the students and the lecturers as well as the kind of support that should be provided before any EMI policy is implemented.
✅ As there is currently a lacuna in the impact of EMI on students, a feasibility study is something that is worth conducting.
