South Korean higher education English-medium instruction (EMI) policy

Abstract

In the past two decades, South Korean universities’ ‘top-down’ implementation of English-medium instruction (EMI) policy has been critiqued for inadequately addressing the linguistic challenges students and instructors face (Kim, 2017). Research suggests that rapid implementation of such policy is primarily motivated by the pursuit of internationalisation, where global ranking takes precedence over the appropriateness of the policy (D. W. Cho, 2012) resulting in issues of injustices (Williams & Stelma, 2022). As a result, of these injustices, taking EMI courses is not a popular choice amongst South Korean higher education students.

Perceptions of Students and Teachers about the Practices of English as the Medium of Instruction at Higher Education Level in Pakistan: A Qualitative Case Study of Kohat University of Science and Technology

“…Teachers also support the view that the feelings in the mother tongue are spontaneous. Williams's (2015) case study in the South Korean context was also having the same results. William's ( 2015) study shows that sometimes, students favouring their mother tongue or local language instead of English.…”

“…We can say that sometimes EMI is a barrier to the learning process. Williams (2015) reviewed the policy and use of English as the medium of instruction in the South Korean context. His finding indicates problems are associated with EMI.…”

A Review of English-medium Instruction in South Korean High Education

“…Williams tried to provide a systematic review of EMI studies from the perspective of the students' and lecturers' language proficiency, the varying demands of different academic situations, and EMI support, concluding that the challenges of implementing EMI in Korea are greater than the opportunities [24]. Instead of reviewing EMI-related articles in Korean as key sources (about six articles), Williams reviewed 23 articles from many other countries, some of which included the international classroom background of EMI adoption.…”

Azerbaijani Higher Education to implement mass English Medium Instruction (EMI) Policies

“…Students are no longer enthusiastic about getting an education in their native language, neither they see Russian as a medium of instruction that used to be a vehicle for a brighter future. Research suggests that the rapid implementation of EMI policy is primarily motivated by the pursuit of internationalization (Williams, 2023), participation in international projects (Mammadova, 2020), and international academic mobility (Mammadova, 2023). As a result, attributed to the mass abandoning of the country by young early career specialists who have recently graduated from Higher Educational Institutions (HEI), the country annually loses a high number of qualified personnel (see Figure 1) who heavily resort to their linguistic competencies and go after a 'better life'.…”