EMI (English‐medium instruction) in South Korean elite universities

Abstract

This article provides an extensive review of previous research on English‐medium instruction (EMI) in South Korean higher education. It then goes on to discuss the findings of a 2017 survey at four elite universities in South Korea, which were Seoul National University, Korea University, Yonsei University, and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). While some of the results could be regarded as predictable, there were a number of findings which extended previous research. Despite the extensive complaint tradition about English in South Korea, many of the students in our sample rated their proficiency rather highly. Notwithstanding the extensive critiques of EMI in much of the previous literature, students typically displayed pragmatic and sometimes positive attitudes to dealing with EMI in their institutions.

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“…By reviewing the extant literature on IoHE in Japan and the central role that EMI plays in this process, the paper deepens understanding of the rationale behind and effects of the current approach to internationalisation. While the paper examines the situation in Japan, as similar government-led approaches to IoHE through the promotion of EMI have been pursued in other East Asian countries, such as South Korea (see Bolton, Ahn, Botha, & Bacon-Shone, 2023) and China (see Rose, McKinley, Xu, & Zhou, 2020), conclusions are of relevance to countries across the region.…”

The Role of English Medium Instruction in the Internationalisation of Japanese Universities: Approaches, Rationales, and Implications

“…By reviewing the extant literature on IoHE in Japan and the central role that EMI plays in this process, the paper deepens understanding of the rationale behind and effects of the current approach to internationalisation. While the paper examines the situation in Japan, as similar government-led approaches to IoHE through the promotion of EMI have been pursued in other East Asian countries, such as South Korea (see Bolton, Ahn, Botha, & Bacon-Shone, 2023) and China (see Rose, McKinley, Xu, & Zhou, 2020), conclusions are of relevance to countries across the region.…”