English-Medium Instruction in Higher Education
Summary
English-Medium Instruction (EMI) has emerged as a prominent vehicle for internationalising campuses, attracting students and staff from diverse linguistic backgrounds and responding to the global demand for English proficiency. Initially rooted in anglophone institutions seeking wider reach, EMI programmes now span non-Anglophone regions in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Proponents argue that teaching content through English cultivates graduates with enhanced employability, intercultural communication skills and access to global research networks. Critics counter that insufficient language support may impede comprehension, marginalise non-native speakers and compromise disciplinary rigour. Research highlights a complex interplay between linguistic proficiency and non-linguistic factors—such as motivation, self-efficacy and pedagogical design—in shaping academic outcomes. Institutional policies vary from rigid “English-only” mandates to more flexible, multilingual approaches that leverage students’ full linguistic repertoires. Practical applications include specialised language courses integrated into degree programmes, faculty development in bilingual pedagogy and the adoption of translanguage strategies that allow strategic use of students’ first languages. These interventions aim to balance the imperatives of global competitiveness with equitable learning experiences. As EMI continues to expand, the field calls for systematic evaluation of curricular models, clearer policy guidelines and empirically grounded teacher training to ensure that content mastery and language development advance in tandem.
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English-Medium Instruction in Higher Education publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in english-medium instruction in higher education across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
English-Medium Instruction (EMI): The delivery of academic subjects in English in contexts where English is not the first language of the majority of students or staff.
L2 (Second language): A language learned after one’s native tongue, often in formal educational settings.
Translanguaging: A pedagogical strategy that allows speakers to draw on their entire linguistic repertoire, including L1 and L2, to facilitate comprehension and learning.
Instrumental motivation: The pragmatic desire to learn a language for concrete rewards such as career advancement, higher grades or certification.
References
- Academic Success in English Medium Courses: Exploring Student Challenges, Opinions, Language Proficiency and L2 Use. RELC Journal (2023).
- Linguistic and non-linguistic factors impacting EMI academic success: a longitudinal study. Higher Education (2024).
- ‘English-only’ English medium instruction: Mixed views in Thai and Vietnamese higher education. Language Teaching Research (2022).
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