Performing English, Learning Bilingually: The Institutional Promise–Practice Paradox of EMI in Bangladeshi Tertiary Education

“Teach in English or retire”: linguistic, pedagogical and career consequences of English medium instruction

Teacher Agency and Institutional Mediation in English Language Materials Development in Philippine Higher Education

English language learning materials are central to higher education, but the institutional processes through which they are planned, reviewed, implemented, and revised remain underexamined. This qualitative multiple-case study investigated faculty-led and institutionally mediated English-language materials development across three higher education institutions in Cabanatuan City, Philippines. Data came from nine semi-structured interviews, three focus group discussions, six observations, and 24 documents collected. Inductive thematic analysis showed that faculty acted as creators, adapters, implementers, reviewers, evaluators, and revisers of materials. Materials were shaped by syllabi, CHED-related expectations, institutional goals, learner needs, professional communication demands, peer review, committee checking, classroom experience, and feedback-informed revision. Cross-case analysis showed that institutional mediation existed across cases but varied in formality. The findings yielded an exploratory institutional adaptation framework comprising curricular alignment, learner-centered needs diagnosis, contextualization and authenticity, collaborative validation, and evaluation-integrated revision.

Indonesian university teachers’ multilingual practices beyond English medium instruction and their motivations

Grounded in English as a lingua franca theory, this study re-examines English-medium instruction (EMI) in Indonesian higher education from a multilingual perspective. Using a rapid ethnographic approach, classroom observations and interviews were conducted with 12 EMI lecturers across three accredited universities. The findings reveal that lecturers strategically integrated Bahasa Indonesia, Javanese, Arabic, Thai, Malay and Latin alongside English through practices such as code-switching, translanguaging and lexical borrowing. These multilingual practices enhanced learning, promoted student engagement and reflected cultural and religious identities. The study proposes reconceptualizing EMI as multilingualism with EMI, positioning English as one resource within a dynamic multilingual ecology rather than the sole language of instruction.

Monolingual English Medium Instruction versus Multilingual pedagogy: Students’ Perspectives from a Praxis Study in Pakistani Secondary Schools

The debate between monolingual English-medium instruction (EMI) and multilingual pedagogy has gained increasing attention in multilingual societies, where English functions as a global lingua franca. At the same time, local languages hold cultural and cognitive value. This study examines students' perspectives on English-medium and multilingual instruction through a qualitative, praxis-oriented investigation conducted at Pak-Turk Marif International School and The City School, Hyderabad, Pakistan. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and reflective written responses from ESL students (n = 10). Guided by a praxis framework and informed by translingual theory and critical pedagogy, the study moves from identifying a classroom-based issue to generating contextual evidence, analyzing student responses, and reflecting on pedagogical implications. The data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, which allowed key patterns to emerge from the students' experiences. The findings reveal a clear preference for multilingual pedagogy, with ( n=7) participants favoring the use of multiple languages to enhance comprehension, inclusivity, and engagement. In contrast,(n=3) respondents supported EMI, primarily for reasons of consistency and English language development. Importantly, even among EMI supporters, English was viewed as an instrumental resource rather than an inherently superior medium of cognition. The study demonstrates that multilingual pedagogical practices better align with students’ learning needs and socio-cultural contexts. The study argues for flexible, context-sensitive language practices that integrate English without marginalizing local languages. It also opens new gates for future research.

A Systematic Review of Student Success in English-Medium Instruction in Higher Education

: English‑Medium Instruction (EMI) refers to the teaching of academic subjects in English in contexts where English is not the students’ first language. EMI has expanded rapidly in higher education worldwide over the past two decades as part of university internationalization, student mobility, and academic competitiveness. However, the extent to which EMI contributes to student success-beyond simply using English in instruction-remains debated. This review synthesizes empirical and theoretical research on student success in EMI settings, focusing on academic achievement, language development, classroom engagement, learning experience, and equity. The evidence indicates that EMI has the potential to support students’ disciplinary learning and English proficiency; however, success is most likely when there are adequate language supports, informed pedagogy, teacher capacity, and inclusive institutional policies. Without such supports, EMI may exacerbate language challenges and learning inequities.

Beyond English-Only: Negotiating L1, Local Culture, and Teacher Agency in Nepalese English Classrooms

Nepal’s English classrooms are linguistically and culturally diverse, yet English-only orientations continue to influence English language teaching. This study explores how secondary-level English teachers negotiate learners’ first language (L1) and local cultural knowledge in English teaching and how they perceive the contribution of these resources to learners’ comprehension, participation, interaction, and meaning-making. A qualitative narrative inquiry was conducted with three experienced secondary-level English teachers from public schools in Nepal. Data were generated through three in-depth narrative interview sessions with each participant, conducted mainly in Nepali, transcribed, translated into English where necessary, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis while retaining attention to the narrative context of teachers’ accounts. The findings show that teachers used L1 selectively according to learners’ English proficiency, lesson difficulty, pedagogical purpose, and classroom circumstances. Nepali was used to explain difficult concepts, clarify linguistic differences, check understanding, facilitate interaction, and encourage participation. Local cultural knowledge, including familiar foods, festivals, community practices, and everyday experiences, was used to connect unfamiliar English content with learners’ prior knowledge and create meaningful opportunities for English communication. Rather than viewing L1 as an alternative to English, teachers described it as a temporary and purposeful mediational resource that could facilitate learners’ engagement with English. However, they also recognized that excessive reliance on L1 could limit learners’ opportunities to encounter and use English. The study thus conceptualizes multilingual English teaching as a process of pedagogical negotiation rather than adherence to a fixed English–L1 ratio. By bringing together L1 use, local cultural knowledge, and teacher agency, the study contributes a context-sensitive account of how Nepalese English teachers mobilize learners’ existing linguistic and cultural resources while maintaining English as the principal target of instruction. The findings underscore the importance of teacher education that develops teachers’ capacity to make purposeful, context-sensitive linguistic and cultural choices in linguistically and culturally diverse classrooms.