6533b855fe1ef96bd12b140b

RESEARCH PRODUCT

The Expansion of English-medium Instruction in the Nordic Countries.Can Top-Down University Language Polices Encourage Bottom-up Disciplinary Literacy Goals?

subject

description

Recently, in the wake of the Bologna Declaration and similar internationalinitiatives, there has been a rapid increase in the number of university courses and programmestaught through the medium of English. Surveys have consistently shown theNordic countries to be at the forefront of this trend towards English-medium instruction(EMI). In this paper, we discuss the introduction of EMI in four Nordic countries (Denmark,Finland, Norway and Sweden). We present the educational setting and the EMIdebate in each of these countries and summarize relevant research findings. We then makesome tentative suggestions for the introduction of EMI in higher education in othercountries. In particular, we are interested in university language policies and their relevancefor the day-to-day work of faculty. We problematize one-size-fits-all universitylanguage policies, suggesting that in order for policies to be seen as relevant they need tobe flexible enough to take into account disciplinary differences. In this respect, we makesome specific suggestions about the content of university language policies and EMI coursesyllabuses. Here we recommend that university language policies should encourage thediscussion of disciplinary literacy goals and require course syllabuses to detail disciplinary specificlanguage-learning outcomes. Recently, in the wake of the Bologna Declaration and similar internationalinitiatives, there has been a rapid increase in the number of university courses and programmestaught through the medium of English. Surveys have consistently shown theNordic countries to be at the forefront of this trend towards English-medium instruction(EMI). In this paper, we discuss the introduction of EMI in four Nordic countries (Denmark,Finland, Norway and Sweden). We present the educational setting and the EMIdebate in each of these countries and summarize relevant research findings. We then makesome tentative suggestions for the introduction of EMI in higher education in othercountries. In particular, we are interested in university language policies and their relevancefor the day-to-day work of faculty. We problematize one-size-fits-all universitylanguage policies, suggesting that in order for policies to be seen as relevant they need tobe flexible enough to take into account disciplinary differences. In this respect, we makesome specific suggestions about the content of university language policies and EMI coursesyllabuses. Here we recommend that university language policies should encourage thediscussion of disciplinary literacy goals and require course syllabuses to detail disciplinaryspecificlanguage-learning outcomes.