Policies, Politics, and Ideologies of English-Medium Instruction in Asian Universities Unsettling Critical Edges

Against the backdrop of uncritical promotions of English-medium instruction (EMI) in higher education globally, this edited volume maps out the political, ideological, and policy-related issues of EMI programs in multilingual and multicultural universities in Asia. In this volume, EMI researchers and practitioners involved in different Asian countries and regions have collaboratively unpacked the critical dimensions of EMI programs in higher education, with a goal to provide must-needed resources for researchers, graduate students, higher education leaders, and policymakers. This volume is the first of its kind in that it provides an exclusive and critical tapestry of EMI at multilingual universities from all parts of Asia, including Central Asia (Kazakhstan), East Asia (Mainland China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan), South Asia (Bangladesh and Nepal), Southeast Asia (Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam), and Western Asia (United Arab Emirates). The key takeaway for the reader is to not only understand the current phenomenon of EMI in Asian universities but to also learn the dark side of its policies, programs, and practices that have led to unequal teaching and learning spaces in diverse societies. This collection will be of interest to scholars and policymakers in English-medium instruction, English language teaching, TESOL, and applied linguistics.

Foreword List of Contributors Introduction: Toward critical English-medium instruction in multilingual universities Pramod K. Sah and Fan Fang Part 1: Policy goals, hidden agenda, and challenges in EMI programs EMI in higher education in Kazakhstan: Policy supports and challenges Sulushash Kerimkulova, Bridget Goodman and Kamila Aitzhanova English medium instruction in Japan: Changes and challenges faced by faculty and students Samantha Curle, Yuwei Lin and Ikuya Aizawa Policy development for English medium instruction at a Nepali University: Unpacking hidden motivations and agendas Karna Rana and Pramod K. Sah English medium instruction (EMI) in higher education in Taiwan: A review and critical reflection on why, how, and for whom Kao Chin-Ling Gupta and Angel M. Y. Lin Part 2: Language ideologies and practices in EMI programs University lecturers’ beliefs and practices about the use of first languages and English in EMI: Case studies from Malaysia and Thailand Roger Barnard, Zuwati Hasim and Banchakarn Sameephet The role of English and the L1 in English medium instruction at universities in Vietnam and Thailand Kari Sahan, Nicola Galloway and Jim McKinley Language use and language choice at an EMI university in Brunei: Student perspectives Ishamina Athirah Gardiner, Sarah Boye and Suciyati Sulaiman Understanding EMI teachers’ language beliefs and use in content-area classrooms at Chinese universities Rui Yuan and Xuyan Qiu Examining the "M" in EMI Courses at Korean universities: Is it English-medium or English-mixed? Juyoung Song Part 3: Discourses of educational and social inequalities in EMI programs Language, class, and coloniality in medium of instruction projects in the Philippines Ruanni Tupas and Romylyn Metila English as a medium of instruction and inequality: Exploring private sector higher education in Bangladesh Md. Al Amin and M. Obaidul Hamid English medium instruction and linguistic diversity in Emirati higher education: Expectations and hardships Sarah Hopkyns AfterwordAndy Kirkpatrick Index

Pramod K. Sah is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Calgary’s Werklund School of Education, Canada, and an Honorary Norham Fellow at the Department of Education, University of Oxford. He obtained his PhD from the University of British Columbia, Canada, where he was also a Killam Laureate. His research areas include language planning and policy, English as a medium instruction, translanguaging, TESOL and social justice, and language ideology. His research has appeared in journals such as Linguistics and Education, Applied Linguistics Review, Ethnicities, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, International Multilingual Research Journal, Asia Pacific Journal of Education, Asian Englishes, among others, and various edited volumes. [ORCiD ID: 0000-0002-6200-8898] Fan Fang obtained his PhD from the Centre for Global Englishes, University of Southampton, UK. He is currently a Professor at the College of Liberal Arts, Shantou University, China. His research interests include Global Englishes, sociolinguistics, language attitude, identity, intercultural communication, and language teaching and learning. He has published articles in journals including Asia Pacific Journal of Education, Asian Englishes, ELT Journal, English Today, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, Language, Culture and Curriculum, Language Teaching Research, Lingua, RELC Journal, System, among others. His latest books include a monograph titled Re-positioning accent attitude in the Global Englishes paradigm (Routledge) and an edited volume (co-edited with Dr Handoyo Widodo) titled Critical Perspectives on Global Englishes in Asia (Multilingual Matters). [ORCiD ID: 0000-0002-4210-9042]