Tensions arising from English medium instruction

This chapter demonstrates how and why the introduction of English Medium Instruction (EMI) programmes may create language-related tensions, especially in non-anglophone higher education institutions (HEIs). It begins with a discussion of the beneficial aspects of the introduction of EMI which overlap with those seen from the introduction of student mobility. Following this, the introduction of EMI programmes is problematised through analysis of the practical tensions that have been identified as they relate to the everyday work around teaching and learning. Then, the ideological tensions connected with the introduction of EMI are discussed in terms of how these are enacted in the higher education environment and what they might mean for the position of domestic languages and linguistic diversity in HEIs.