Article published in:
Problematizing Language Policy and Practice in EMI and Transnational Higher Education: Challenges and PossibilitiesEdited by Curtis Green-Eneix, Peter I. De Costa and Wendy Li
[Australian Review of Applied Linguistics 44:2] 2021
► pp. 129–153
Implementing English-medium instruction
Comparing policy to practice at a Turkish university
Kari Sahan | University of Oxford
As part of the trend toward internationalization of higher education, governments and universities have introduced
policies to encourage the expansion of English-medium instruction (EMI). However, top-down policies do not necessarily translate
to teaching and learning practices. This article provides a case study examining the implementation of undergraduate EMI
engineering programs at a state university in Turkey to explore the gaps that exist between national- and institutional-level EMI
policies and classroom-level practices. Data were collected through policy documents, classroom observations, semi-structured
interviews with teachers, and focus group discussions with students. The findings suggest that the implementation of EMI varies
across classrooms, even within the same university department. Despite policies that envision one-language-at-a-time instruction,
the EMI lecturers in this study varied in terms of language preference and teaching practice in their EMI lectures. Implications
are discussed with respect to policy planning, teacher training, and the expansion of EMI across university contexts.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Literature review
- 2.1EMI aims and implementation
- 2.2Language use and challenges in EMI
- 3.Methodology
- 3.1Research questions and framework
- 3.2Setting: The case university
- 3.3Data collection
- 3.4Data analysis
- 4.Results
- 4.1Language of instruction in EMI programs
- 4.2Students’ English proficiency requirements and support
- 4.3Teachers’ English proficiency requirements and support
- 4.4Language learning as an aim of EMI
- 5.Discussion and conclusion
- Note
-
References
Published online: 07 July 2021
https://doi.org/10.1075/aral.20094.sah
https://doi.org/10.1075/aral.20094.sah
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