English as a Medium of Instruction
English as a medium of instruction – a growing global phenomenon: phase 1
Interim report
April 2014
Author:
Julie Dearden, Senior Research and Development Fellow,
English as Medium of Instruction (EMI),
Department of Education, University of Oxford
www.britishcouncil.org/education/ihe
Going Global 2014 1
Introduction
There is a fast-moving worldwide shift from
English being taught as a foreign language
(EFL) to English being the medium of instruction (EMI) for academic subjects such as science, mathematics, geography and medicine. EMI is increasingly being used in universities, secondary schools and even primary schools. This phenomenon has very important implications for the education of young people and policy decisions in non-anglophone countries.
Yet little empirical research has been conducted into why and when EMI is being introduced and how it is delivered.
What are the consequences of introducing
EMI on teaching, learning, assessing and teacher professional development?
The British Council is working with Oxford
University Department of Education’s
(OUDE) research centre, EMI Oxford, on a global scoping research project to try to answer some of these questions.
The first phase of the project has been to map the size and shape of EMI in the world today. The full report of phase 1 will be available in November 2014.
This report briefly sets out the findings of the research so far.
The 55 countries that participated in the study* are:
Afghanistan
Cyprus
Iran
Netherlands
Sri Lanka
Argentina
Czech Republic
Iraq
Nigeria
Switzerland
Azerbaijan
Estonia
Israel
Pakistan
Taiwan
Bahrain
Ethiopia
Italy
Portugal
Turkey
Bangladesh
Germany
Japan
Qatar
Uganda
Bosnia and
Herzegovina
Ghana
Kazakhstan
Saudi Arabia
Ukraine
Brazil
Greece
Macedonia
Senegal
United States
Bulgaria
Hong Kong
Malaysia
Serbia
Uzbekistan
China
Hungary
Mauritius
South Africa
Venezuela
Colombia
India
Montenegro
South Sudan
Vietnam
Croatia
Interim report
April 2014
Author:
Julie Dearden, Senior Research and Development Fellow,
English as Medium of Instruction (EMI),
Department of Education, University of Oxford
www.britishcouncil.org/education/ihe
Going Global 2014 1
Introduction
There is a fast-moving worldwide shift from
English being taught as a foreign language
(EFL) to English being the medium of instruction (EMI) for academic subjects such as science, mathematics, geography and medicine. EMI is increasingly being used in universities, secondary schools and even primary schools. This phenomenon has very important implications for the education of young people and policy decisions in non-anglophone countries.
Yet little empirical research has been conducted into why and when EMI is being introduced and how it is delivered.
What are the consequences of introducing
EMI on teaching, learning, assessing and teacher professional development?
The British Council is working with Oxford
University Department of Education’s
(OUDE) research centre, EMI Oxford, on a global scoping research project to try to answer some of these questions.
The first phase of the project has been to map the size and shape of EMI in the world today. The full report of phase 1 will be available in November 2014.
This report briefly sets out the findings of the research so far.
The 55 countries that participated in the study* are:
Afghanistan
Cyprus
Iran
Netherlands
Sri Lanka
Argentina
Czech Republic
Iraq
Nigeria
Switzerland
Azerbaijan
Estonia
Israel
Pakistan
Taiwan
Bahrain
Ethiopia
Italy
Portugal
Turkey
Bangladesh
Germany
Japan
Qatar
Uganda
Bosnia and
Herzegovina
Ghana
Kazakhstan
Saudi Arabia
Ukraine
Brazil
Greece
Macedonia
Senegal
United States
Bulgaria
Hong Kong
Malaysia
Serbia
Uzbekistan
China
Hungary
Mauritius
South Africa
Venezuela
Colombia
India
Montenegro
South Sudan
Vietnam
Croatia