About EMI Oxford Research Group

EMI Oxford Research Group is a research group within the Department of Education at The University of Oxford, which explores the educational and linguistic implications of the spread of English as a medium instruction (EMI) within communities where English is not the primary language of communication. Currently, the world is seeing a boom in EMI as an educational model, but the implications this growing trend is severely under-researched. Thus, the research group aims to fill this void in its exploration of the effects of EMI on language learning, content learning, teaching delivery, quality of education, equality of access, and other multi-faceted aspects of EMI. 

The research group cooperates with education institutions and organisations around the world through:

• Research into the extent and effects of EMI
• Consultancies, workshops for institutions already introducing or intending to introduce EMI

The group is interested in the following research questions:

1. What is the rate and level of growth of EMI worldwide?
2. What models of EMI exist worldwide and which are the most effective?
3. What are the perceptions of EMI teachers and EMI learners with regard to EMI?
4. What kind of English is used in EMI? 
5. How much English is used in EMI?
6. How would we measure the success of an EMI programme? Is the learning of academic subjects at least as good by EMI?  Is learning English through EMI better than through EFL? If so by which groups of students? 
7. To what extent is English proficiency an obstacle in gaining access to EMI programmes? What transition problems exist between secondary and tertiary; between primary and secondary?
8. What levels of English competence enable EMI teachers to provide quality instruction? Can EMI competence be ‘certificated’?
9. What is classroom interaction like in EMI contexts; how is this different from L1 MOI contexts?
10. What strategies do learners deploy in EMI contexts; are these different from EFL/MFL contexts, and from L1 MOI contexts?
11. What are the most effective forms of EMI and EFL/EAP/PYP teacher preparation/professional development?
12. Can EMI teachers and EFL teachers collaborate in order to improve EMI delivery?
13. What “accommodation to EMI” is acceptable and practical? e.g. To what extent do language assessment systems need to change (for students)? 
14. What are the implications of EMI for materials developers/publishers?
15. What are the implications of Brexit for EMI?
16. What is the impact of migration on EMI developments?