Educating in English. Good idea?

The term English-medium instruction (EMI) describes an educational setting where academic subjects are taught solely in English in a country where English is not the native language. EMI has become a common feature of numerous European universities. I also chose to pursue my undergraduate degree in a program that uses English as a medium of instruction. Now that I am at the end of my studies, I would like to offer my take on English-medium instruction. As anything in life, it has its advantages and disadvantages.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF EMI 

• Advantage: English has become the main lingua franca of our world. Students who complete their higher education in an EMI program will have a better command of English compared to their peers (Shohamy, p. 197). Therefore, arguably, they might be better prepared for the international job-market. Studying in an EMI program also familiarizes you with actively using English in a competitive environment. In today’s world almost everybody speaks English. The difference is how well you can speak it and use it.
• Advantage: Wilkinson argues that EMI programs also attract a wider pool of international students (p. 4). Therefore, these type of university programs enable students to study with people from different parts of the world. Moreover, it provides an excellent setting for networking.
• Disadvantage: Students’ ability to express themselves in their mother tongue (L1) declines over time as English is used more actively (Wilkinson, p.11). It becomes easier to write and speak in English. I can also attest to this. Yet, I think this is reversible. Using our mother tongue is like riding a bike, we just have to get back on it and paddle. Speaking from personal experience, it is possible to recover L1 when used actively again.
• Disadvantage: The question of fairness (Shohamy p. 204-205). When the home language of a student differs from the native language of the country they live in, English becomes their third language. The third language is usually weakest of all. Thus, the student is disadvantaged when it comes to learning academic content in English. In addition, he says that examination carried out in English might not reflect the true potential of students. Students might be able to score higher in their native language.

BEST PRACTICE: MAASTRICHT UNIVERSITY

EMI programs have the potential to work well and be beneficial for students, but it depends on how they are carried out. In my opinion, Maastricht University does an excellent job in implementing EMI because of the problem based learning (PBL) system.

“How the content is delivered has a critical impact on the success of a program. Issues have been raised in many studies about the quality of the language of the teaching staff…”  (Wilkinson, p. 15).

According to Wilkinson, “student-centered learning” makes the successful application of EMI more likely. The Problem Based Learning system we use at Maastricht University encourages the active use of English and gives us the chance to develop our own learning outcomes. Thus, both the language skills and the academic knowledge is developed in the process.

Not all universities are able to implement EMI to the same extent. Programs are expensive and require trained staff. Hungarian universities also offer programs where English is the medium of instruction. Yet, the language abilities of professors at some of the universities is not as adequate. Therefore, the students are hampered in developing their academic and language skills. Thus, I would recommend looking for programs – if it is possible – in countries where the English knowledge level of the population is already high.

ME & EMI

I think the title of this last section is very fitting. In the end, it is a personal decision. I chose to study in this type of educational setting because it fit my needs. I hope to be working in an international environment someday and English is the language of our globalized world. Thus, I knew early on that I wanted to complete my undergraduate degree in English. I recently learned that it takes around 10 years to be able to use a language on an academic level. (Shohamy, p. 199). I feel as if studying in an EMI program has shortened this time frame for me.

Despite some of the downsides of EMI, I am very satisfied with my decision to have chosen a program where English is the medium of instruction. Is there something I would change? Yes there is. I would focus more on developing my language skills outside of English. If I were in charge of language and educational policies in Europe, I would ensure that all universities incorporate more courses into their curriculum that require students to develop other language skills. I know that this is easier said than done.

What do you think about English-medium instruction? Let me know in the comment section below!

Best,

Monika

A LITTLE EXTRA: HUNGARIAN LESSON 1

Most of us probably know at least a few phrases from the larger languages used in Europe (French, German, Spanish or Italian). It is definitely a good conversation starter with the locals when visiting their country.

The Hungarian language (Magyar) is only spoken by approximately 13 million people. It is beautiful, unique and very complex. Since it is a small language, most people probably do not know much about it. Within the framework of this blog, I would like to introduce you to a few Hungarian words and phrases at the end of each entry. Hopefully it will come handy the next time you visit Budapest!

Here is lesson 1:

Jó napot. A nevem Mónika. Örvendek.

Hello! My name is Mónika. It is nice to meet you.