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English Medium Instruction in Higher Education in Asia-Pacific pp 1–18Cite as

EMI Issues and Challenges in Asia-Pacific Higher Education: An Introduction

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Part of the book series: Multilingual Education ((MULT,volume 21))

Abstract

This chapter makes the case for a research focus on English medium instruction (EMI) in Asia-Pacific higher education. Three key reasons are provided: (i) the rise in the geopolitical status of English as a lingua franca; (ii) the expansion of higher education in the region; and (iii) the boom in large-scale internationalisation education policies by Asia-Pacific governments. In this context, the very meaning of ‘EMI’ is problematized, with the binary ‘it is or it isn’t’ distinction eschewed in favour of more nuanced, situated conceptualisations, and extending to EMI in Anglophone contexts. The paper then outlines some of the key challenges relating to EMI at the governmental, institutional and classroom levels, as well as considering issues of language assessment and content outcomes. Finally, an overview of work by key researchers on EMI in Asia-Pacific is provided, focussing on: (i) EMI policies and practices in various Asia-Pacific polities; (ii) issues affecting EMI instructors; and (iii) multiple language use among learners in EMI contexts.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The ASEAN member-states are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. An expanded body, ASEAN+3, incorporates China, Japan and South Korea.

  2. 2.

    CBLT = Content-based Language Teaching; EAP = English for Academic Purposes; ESP = English for Specific Purposes.

  3. 3.

    The papers from this volume are also available in the February 2013 special edition of Current Issues in Language Planning.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Ian Walkinshaw & Ben Fenton-Smith

  2. Griffith English Language Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Pamela Humphreys

Authors
  1. Ian Walkinshaw
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  2. Ben Fenton-Smith
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  3. Pamela Humphreys
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Correspondence to Ian Walkinshaw .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Ben Fenton-Smith

  2. Griffith English Language Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Pamela Humphreys

  3. School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Ian Walkinshaw

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Walkinshaw, I., Fenton-Smith, B., Humphreys, P. (2017). EMI Issues and Challenges in Asia-Pacific Higher Education: An Introduction. In: Fenton-Smith, B., Humphreys, P., Walkinshaw, I. (eds) English Medium Instruction in Higher Education in Asia-Pacific. Multilingual Education, vol 21. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51976-0_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51976-0_1

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