Article In:
Journal of English-Medium Instruction: Online-First Articles

A collaborative autoethnography on English as a medium of instruction

Perspectives across disciplines

ORCID logo | University of St Andrew
ORCID logo | Emirates College for Advanced Education
ORCID logo | Zayed University
English-medium instruction (EMI), and more broadly English-medium education (EME), is growing in leaps and bounds in multilingual university settings globally. Despite the phenomenon of EMI affecting all stakeholders in any given university, research concerning EMI pedagogical and sociolinguistic issues most often occupies the attention of applied linguists alone. This study aims to open up research on EMI to include interdisciplinary perspectives from faculty members in the disciplines of applied linguistics, education and media studies. The study takes the form of a collaborative autoethnography whereby the authors, as participants, reflect on their experiences and perceptions of EMI in their respective disciplines in the context of higher education in the United Arab Emirates. Findings revealed both similarities and differences between approaches and experiences of EMI across disciplines. Drawing on the findings, the value of open sharing and discussion of EMI struggles and triumphs is recommended together with critical awareness of decolonisation in educationscapes and teacher agency in EMI classrooms.
Keywords: English-medium instruction (EMI), English-medium education in multilingual settings (EMEMUS), interdisciplinary, higher education, United Arab Emirates, language-in-education policy
Article outline
  • Introduction: Opening up EMI
  • Literature review: EMI research across disciplines
  • The study
    • Study’s aim and research questions
    • The methodology of collaborative autoethnography
    • Procedure
    • Participants in our collaborative autoethnography
    • Data analysis
  • Findings
    • GQ1: EMI in relation to disciplines and linguistic backgrounds
      • Teachers’ linguistic background, empathy, and compassion
      • Western-centric educationscapes
      • The needs of students after graduation
    • GQ2: Benefits and drawbacks of EMI in different disciplines
      • English as a useful language across disciplines
      • An imbalance between English and Arabic
      • The need for scaffolding
      • Increased teacher agency via hands-on strategies
      • Critical awareness
      • Alternative assessments
  • Discussion and conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
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