Page 36 - ELG2001 Jan Issue 468

El•Gazette 468.qxp_El•Gazette 468 08/01/2020 15:59 Page 36

COMMENT .

Point

of View

Ernesto
Macaro

These are the drivers propelling

the EMI train forward

The drive to English as a Medium of Instruction is unstoppable, but teachers
need support to keep it on track, argues Ernesto Macaro

irtually every text on English
Medium Instruction (EMI) that you UNSPLASH
may read, be it a research paper or
Vsomeone’s opinion, will tell you that
the phenomenon is growing rapidly
worldwide. Whether they are for or against
EMI, almost all authors agree that it is an
‘unstoppable train’. This is also my own view
but I believe, if it is unstoppable, then we
must do the best we can to make the ride for
both students and teachers as pleasant and as
fulfilling as possible.
The term EMI is generally used to describe
classrooms in non-Anglophone countries,
where content subjects are being taught
through the medium of English. So, if
Geography is being taught through English in
Italy, or Chemistry is being taught through
English in China, then those would be EMI
classrooms. The Bologna Declaration, in 1999, was the guiding document of the Bologna
EMI tends to be associated more with Process, which sought to create a Europe-wide system of comparable degrees
Higher Education (HE) than with other
phases of education, but is certainly not Similar pressures for offering EMI some linguists, EMI is also seen as vehicle for
exclusive to HE. The term is sometimes used programmes operate in the ASEAN making language learning more ‘authentic’.
synonymously with CLIL (Content and countries, where universities are competing Finally, there is pressure from the private
Language Integrated Learning), but I think for international students within their education sector on the state funded sector.
there are problems with that association Southeast Asian region. At the high school level, the former often
which space here will not allow me to At a more general level, EMI is also seen advertises itself as providing its courses
explore. as a mechanism for facilitating the through EMI. This may put pressure on state
The forces that are propelling the EMI internationalisation policy of an HE high schools to do the same in order to be
train forward are many and complex, but institution, potentially helping it to rise in the seen as equally prestigious. This also exerts
English is now the undisputed world lingua world rankings of universities. an upward pressure on universities to offer
franca and, given the steady increase in Internationalisation is not only about home students English-taught courses:
student mobility, universities increasingly attracting international students but also they’ve been taught at school through
need to offer academic content in English foreign teaching staff. Indeed, universities in English, why now go to university and
rather than in the local language. some countries are partially ranked on the specialise through the local language?
This mobility can also be regional. In the percentage of EMI courses that they offer. If these are the drivers propelling the EMI
European Union, for example, the ‘Bologna On a national level, many policy makers train forward, what might be putting on the
Process’ aspired to facilitate student mobility believe that teaching academic subjects brakes, or even risking a derailment?
among member countries by standardising through English is cost-effective in that First, there is considerable evidence that
qualifications. The unintended consequence students’ level of English will improve EMI is primarily introduced top-down via
has been that more and more universities are concurrently with obtaining expertise and policy-makers; content teachers often having
obliged to offer courses through the medium qualifications in a content subject. Coupled to no option but to teach through English. A
of English. If you want to attract Portuguese this is the general belief that EMI provides common complaint in the research literature
students of economics to, say, a Dutch massive exposure to English, and this will is that some teachers are not linguistically
university, you are more likely to be improve a nation’s linguistic prowess, make confident enough to make the switch to EMI.
successful if they are not expected to learn students more marketable on the world stage, They may feel their English is adequate for
Dutch up to the level needed to get a degree. and do wonders for the national economy. For writing a research paper or making a
36 January 2020