BALEAP EMI SIG essentially construes the concept of English-medium instruction (EMI) in a continuum of and symbiotic relation with the concept of English for academic purposes (EAP). With this perspective, EMI SIG aims to place a greater focus on the efficacy levels of academic subject learning—sharing EAP’s focus from a different angle—in EMI university settings globally. Thus, EMI SIG primarily aims to help the development of the field of EMI, while ‘learning’ from the field of EAP. 

Furthermore, EMI SIG sees more similarities than differences between Anglophone context university lecture rooms and their non-Anglophone context counterparts (see Akıncıoğlu, 2023; Wingate, 2022). Therefore, it opts for Akıncıoğlu's (2023) definition of EMI as the use of English (for example sole use, partial use, code switching and so on) both by students and content teachers to learn/teach academic subjects (other than English itself) within EMI higher education settings regardless of their locale. While expanding on Macaro and Akıncıoğlu’s (2018) definition, in essence, this definition allows the fields of EAP and EMI to be seen in a symbiotic relationship where they both learn from and contribute to each other’s development.

EMI SIG places a core focus on promoting the concept of 'EMI Quality' in higher education. EMI quality is defined as the level of excellence at which an institution’s EMI policy is reflected in its instructional practices (e.g., pedagogies, instructional materials, linguistic landscape), learning outcomes, and alumni performance (Akıncıoğlu, 2023). By concentrating on the effectiveness of academic subject teaching and learning within EMI programs, EMI SIG seeks to leverage BALEAP’s unparalleled expertise in EAP to enhance EMI in higher education globally.

Interdisciplinary teacher collaboration, the professional development of EMI content-teachers, and enhancing the quality of students' academic content learning outcomes in EMI academic programs will be prioritized. In so doing, EMI SIG aims to present opportunities for both BALEAP and EMI SIG members to gain higher levels of awareness about EMI in higher education. Additionally, it seeks to help international universities and their stakeholders (e.g., policymakers, content teachers/lecturers, program designers, training designers) adopt the highest quality EAP expertise into their EMI provisions.

References

Akıncıoğlu (2023). Rethinking of EMI in higher education: a critical view on its scope, definition and quality, Language, Culture and Curriculum. https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2023.2251519

Macaro, E., & Akıncıoğlu, M. (2018). Turkish university students’ perceptions about English medium instruction: exploring year group, gender and university type as variables, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444817000350

Wingate, U. (2022). Student support and teacher education in English for academic purposes and English medium instruction: Two sides of the same coin? Language Teaching, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444822000465