English as a Medium of Instruction

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The English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) research group at Oxford aims to improve our understanding of the impact of the use of the English language to teach academic subjects (other than English itself) in educational contexts where the first language of the majority of the student population is not English.

About

The EMI research group cooperates with education institutions and organisations around the world through leading research into the extent and effects of EMI across the globe. Currently, the world is seeing a boom in EMI as an educational model in universities, secondary schools and even primary schools; however the implications of this growing trend remain severely under-researched. EMI is increasingly being implemented via top-down policies, sometimes with little attention to the educational implications that learning through a second language can have for the millions of students affected. This 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, inequalities of access, language flexibility and hybridity, the competencies needed to be a successful EMI teacher, and other multi-faceted aspects of EMI.

This group is convened by Heath Rose.

Learn more on the EMI website.

Theme 1: Research Synthesis

Research into EMI has grown exponentially. Building on a seminal systematic review conducted by the group and published in 2018, the research group aims to synthesis research on EMI to offer an authoritative view of the field.

Theme 2: Educational Outcomes

One major strand of research of the group aims to address the question of whether students are able to learn content just as well through the medium of English compared to through the medium of their first language. It explores whether EMI has a deleterious or facilitative effect on learning.

Theme 3: Success in EMI

Success in EMI is complex, involving indicators as diverse as language learning, course grades, mobility and career prospects. Research within the group unpicks these complexities while exploring linguistic and non-linguistic predictors of success including proficiency, self-regulation, psychological capital, motivation, and perseverance.

Theme 4: Language Support

The group explores misalignments of EMI policy and language planning in higher education. It uses empirical evidence to lobby for greater language support, arguing that without adequate language policies and resources for language support, universities are setting up their students to fail.

Impact

A recent bibliometric study of 1522 research papers on the topic of English Medium Instruction has highlighted the University of Oxford as the leading institution of EMI research, in terms of number of publications and highly cited papers. Of the top 20 leading researchers who are listed in the analysis, eight are our Department’s Professors, Honorary Research Fellows, or DPhil alumni, highlighting the global reach the EMI Research Group.

Members of the group have engaged with organisations such as British Council and British Council China to help develop EMI guidance documents and policies. We have engaged with key people within ministries of education in Taiwan, Kazakhstan, Peru and Indonesia to advise of EMI in the higher education sector.

Selected Publications

Aizawa, I., Rose, H., Thompson, G., & Mckinley, J. (2025). Content knowledge attainment in English medium instruction: Does academic English literacy matter?. Language Teaching Research, 13621688241304051.

Babayiğit, S., & Trenkic, D. (2025). Vocabulary knowledge is key to understanding and addressing disparities in higher education. British Journal of Educational Psychology.

Lee, H., Rose, H., Macaro, E., & Lee, J. H. (2025). Effectiveness of EMI in higher education: A multi-level meta-analysis. System, 133, 103755. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2025.103755

Lee, H., Rose, H., Macaro, E., & Lee, J. H. (2025). Success of EMI in higher education and its key components: A meta-analytic structural equation modelling approach. Educational Research Review, 47, 100684. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2025.100684

Rose, H., Curle, S., Aizawa, I., & Thompson, G. (2020). What drives success in English medium taught courses? The interplay between language proficiency, academic skills, and motivation. Studies in Higher Education, 45(11), 2149-2161. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1590690

Rose, H., Macaro, E., Sahan, K., Aizawa, I., Zhou, S., & Wei, M. (2023). Defining English medium instruction: Striving for comparative equivalence. Language Teaching, 56(4), 539-550.

Rose, H., Sahan, K., Wei, M., Aizawa, I., Zhou, S., & Shepard, C. (2026). A systematic review of English medium instruction in higher education: An update of Macaro et al.(2018). System, 136, 103892. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2025.103892

Sahan, K., Galloway, N., & McKinley, J. (2025). ‘English-only’English medium instruction: Mixed views in Thai and Vietnamese higher education. Language Teaching Research, 29(2), 657-676. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688211072632

Shepard, C. & Rose, H. (2025). How long is long? A case for multiperspective qualitative longitudinal research to capture holistic learning experiences. Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, 4(1), 100192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmal.2025.100192

Soruç, A., Yuksel, D., Horzum, B., McKinley, J., & Rose, H. (2024). Linguistic and non-linguistic factors impacting EMI academic success: a longitudinal study. Higher Education, 88, 1947–1968. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-024-01195-0

Zhou, S., & Rose, H. (2025). A longitudinal study on lecture listening difficulties and self-regulated learning strategies across different proficiency levels in EMI higher education. Applied Linguistics Review, 16(1) 509-535. https://doi.org/10.1515/applirev-2023-0113

Study with us

Taught courses

MSc Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition (full-time only)
MSc Applied Linguistics for Language Teaching (part-time only)
MSc Education (Higher Education)

Examples of DPhil projects

‘Effects on content knowledge and language acquisition of English as Medium of Instruction in Japanese Higher Education’ Ikuya Aizawa
‘Variations of English-medium instruction: Comparing policy and practice in Turkish higher education’ Kari Sahan
‘Investigating English Medium of Instruction (EMI) students’ vocabulary learning and vocabulary learning strategies use: A longitudinal study in China’s tertiary context’ Minhui Wei
‘Stakeholders’ attitudes towards English Medium of Instruction for academic subjects in the Japanese higher education context’ Samantha Curle
‘Monolingual teachers’ interaction with Chinese students in English as the medium of instruction (EMI) science classes: an exploratory study of the new EMI model in high schools in China’ Jiangshan (Tiny) An
‘An exploratory study of teaching and learning secondary science through English: classroom interactions, perceptions of teachers and students’ Dr Jack Pun
‘What happens to classroom interaction patterns and teachers’ code-switching behaviour when the medium of instruction changes? An exploratory study in Hong Kong secondary schools’ Dr. Yuen Yi Lo

English as a Medium of Instruction

About

Impact

Selected Publications

Study with us

Taught courses

Examples of DPhil projects

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