“It Doesn’t Scare Me Now!”: Changes in Teacher Identity After Emi Training

Abstract

Although English Medium Instruction (EMI) in tertiary education enhances the international prestige of academic staff, the practices of universities regarding the training of EMI staff are few in the literature as well as the analysis of the impact the such courses have on EMI academic staff. University staff are pushed towards teaching through English with little administrative support, which causes the creation of EMI training courses. The paper offers a practical example of how to apply research findings, university context, needs analysis and course feedback to syllabus design for teacher training in EMI in the context of a Russian university. It describes piloting of an EMI training course. The authors present the content of an EMI training course; analyze feedback from EMI teacher trainees to show how the EMI training course influences academic staff identity. The respondents recognized that the EMI course had improved them both professionally (innovative methods of teaching, interactive lecturing techniques, EMI strategies) and personally (increased level of language proficiency, boosted confidence in teaching in English). Although the course design has naturally been influenced by Russian context, the underlying principles, problems and solutions can usefully inform the development of EMI teacher training courses in other parts of the world.