Institutions across the world are using English to teach academic subjects in a desire to internationalise. The symposium will present a global view of EMI with experts from different countries sharing their perspectives. ​

This will mark our 6th biennial symposium, having been held previously in 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023. This event will be co-hosted by the EMI Research Group at the University of Oxford and ELINET.  This year we have some exciting developments:
  • We plan to co-host the event with the 3rd ELINET Conference, with plenary speakers covering a range of topics associated with English language and internationalisation, focusing predominately on EMI, Global Englishes, and related fields of study.
  • We will be hosting a selection of parallel talks 
  • It will be a two day event for the first time in EMI Symposium history
  • While this is primarily an in-person conference, people will be able to register to watch the plenary talks online via Teams for free 

Confirmed Plenary Speakers

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Dr Ikuya Aizawa (EMI Oxford plenary speaker)

Ikuya Aizawa is an Assistant Professor in Applied Linguistics at the School of English at Nottingham University, UK. His research interests include the globalisation of English language teaching and the pedagogical implications of the use of English to teach and learn academic subjects in higher education, with a particular interest in English Medium Instruction (EMI). His current research projects focus on the role of English on knowledge production and dissemination in higher education, policy concerning equality, diversity and inclusion in EMI, inclusive assessment and measurement in EMI and the effectiveness of EMI in relation to content and language outcomes. He has published widely in these areas, with recent work appearing in journals such as System, Language Teaching Research, Higher Education, International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, and Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. His recent projects include the forthcoming book English Medium Instruction in Japan: Opportunities, Challenges and Future Directions, which is under contract with Routledge (Aizawa, forthcoming) as part of the Routledge Studies in English-Medium Instruction series.
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Dr Ali Fuad Selvi (ELINET plenary speaker)

​Ali Fuad Selvi is a critical applied linguist and language teacher educator at the University of Alabama, with previous faculty positions at METU Northern Cyprus and the University of Maryland. His research focuses on Global Englishes; (in)equity, marginalization, and professionalism in TESOL; English medium instruction; the platformized ELT ecosystem; and critical language teacher education. His work has been published in leading journals including TESOL Quarterly, Applied Linguistics, World Englishes, System, and Critical Inquiry in Language Studies. He serves on the editorial boards of journals such as TESOL Quarterly, System, Journal of Language, Identity & Education, and TESOL Journal, and is an active reviewer for academic journals, publishers, and conferences. His recent books include The Routledge Handbook of English as an International Language (2025), Teaching English as an International Language (CUP, 2024), and International Perspectives on Critical English Language Teacher Education (Bloomsbury, 2024). He is currently co-editing Multilingual Leadership in TESOL (Routledge) and The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Applied Linguistics and Language Education. He was recognized by TESOL International Association as one of its 30 Up and Coming Leaders for his potential to shape the future of the field.
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Dr Mona Nishizaki (ELINET plenary speaker)
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Mona Nishizaki (née Syrbe) is a Ricercatore B at the University of Genova’s Department of Modern Languages. She earned her PhD in Applied Linguistics from Trinity College Dublin with a thesis on Global Englishes in teaching and testing materials. Her research focuses on English as an International Language, textbook analysis, and internationalisation in education. She previously taught in Japan and the UK and has presented widely on Global Englishes pedagogy. Her publications appear in TESOL Quarterly, Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, International Journal of Applied Linguistics, and volumes by Springer and Multilingual Matters. She also delivers invited lectures on World Englishes globally.
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Dr Rafael Timmermann (EMI Oxford plenary speaker)

Rafael de Souza Timmermannis a professor and researcher at Federal University of Pará in the Amazon region of Brazil where works for the Foreign Languages Department. He is Internship supervisor for future English teachers and coordinates research on pop culture and teaching. He also manages programs of English for Higher Education Internationalization. He used to, on and off, teach English as a Second Language and TOEFL/IELTS prep courses in private language schools for almost 15 years. His research involves English teaching and learning, Pop Culture and authentic materials, English as a Medium of Instruction, Higher Education Internationalization, teacher education, and Enunciation Linguistics.

Featured speakers

Panel speakers include:
  • Prof David Lasagabaster (University of the Basque Country)
  • Dr Julia Reckermann (University of Münster, Germany)
  • Dr Nicola Galloway (University of Glasgow, UK)
  • Dr Paolo Delogu (University of Glasgow, UK)
  • Dr Rowland Imperial (Trinity College Dublin, Ireland)
  • Dr Samantha Curle (University of Bath, UK)
See speaker information at this link.

Welcome: Prof Heath Rose (University of Oxford)
Panel Chair: Prof Jim McKinley (University College London)
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Transport Facilities
​Oxfordshire is located in between the UK’s two largest cities with London to the south and Birmingham to the north.

                       See map below 
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Symposium Venue
Education department, 15 Norham Gardens, Oxford OX2 6PY​                       
                        Learn more
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Accommodation
Accommodation at the University Visit Oxfordshire - where to stay Hotels near Oxford University​


                                    Plan your trip
How to get to the symposium venue, Education Department
Access guide to the department can be found here: https://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/access/dandt/socialsciences/education/

Symposium programme

The full symposium programme is available clicking on the button below. 
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Call for Abstracts (closed)

We are pleased to invite abstract submissions for the 6th English Medium Instruction (EMI) Symposium, which will jointly held alongside the 3rd Annual ELINET Conference . The theme of the conference is Transforming Education, Transforming Lives, and will be held on July 3rd–4th, 2025, at the Department of Education, University of Oxford. This international event will provide a platform for researchers, practitioners, and students to explore innovative approaches to education and their transformative impacts.
 
Transforming Education, Transforming Lives invites participants to engage with the latest trends, experiences, and findings in educational research and practice. The conference brings together global perspectives with keynote speakers addressing diverse and critical themes, offering insights into local and international contexts.
 
We invite students, researchers, and practitioners to submit abstracts for 20-minute presentations at the in-person conference. Each presentation will include a 15-minute talk followed by 5 minutes for questions and discussion. Presenters are encouraged to share work at any stage of development, including ongoing projects, as the conference aims to foster dynamic discussions and collaboration. We further invite students and practitioners to submit novel teaching resources that address any of the topics below in the context of globalization of education. These should be submitted as posters and can be supplemented via video.  
 
In keeping with the core focus of the EMI Symposium and ELINET, all papers should broadly address issues associated with either of the following areas:
  • Global Englishes (including World Englishes, ELF and EIL)
  • Medium of instruction (including EMI, CLIL, EME, EMEMUS, and ICLHE)
 
They should also address one or more of the conference strands, including but not limited to:
  • Multilingualism
  • Social Justice
  • Technology in Education
  • Decolonization
  • Classroom Policies
  • Pedagogy
  • Teacher Education
  • Materials Design
  • Content and Language Teacher Collaboration
  • Primary and Secondary Education
  • Other Languages as a Medium of Instruction
 
Abstracts no longer than 200 words are to be uploaded through this form no later than 1st April 2025. We will review abstracts on a rolling basis, meaning the earlier you submit, the sooner you will know the outcome and can start planning your trip. We will notify all presenters of successful submissions no later than 15 April 2025 and will assign your presentation to a panel session according to its strand. Further information can be found on the ELINET conference website. For questions, please contact [email protected]. 


Registration 

Registration is via the following links:
For any questions about the event, please contact the co-chairs, Heath Rose and Mona Nishizaki at: [email protected].

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