Promoting English-as-a-medium-of-instruction (EMI) Teacher Development in Higher Education: What Can Language Specialists Do and Become?

Abstract

Despite the rapid expansion of English-as-a-medium-of-instruction (EMI) programs in higher education, EMI teacher education is still in its infancy. This viewpoint paper analyses what language specialists can do and become in EMI teacher education in university settings. Specifically, the paper argues that language specialists can take on a new role as EMI teacher educators and contribute to EMI teaching and teacher development in different ways, including: (1) initiating classroom change through awareness raising; (2) integrating content and language in specific disciplines through collaboration; (3) attending to EMI teachers’ social and affective needs; and (4) advocating the professional status of EMI teachers. The paper also proposes a tentative framework on EMI teacher educator identity, which can serve as a frame of reference for language specialists who are interested in embarking on a new professional path as EMI teacher educators.