Challenges to the Implementation of English as Medium of Instruction in a Technological University

Introduction

The Bucharest Communication¹ (2012) adopted a strategy to promote academic mobility, aiming for at least 20 per cent of graduates to have spent a part of their studies or internship in an institution other than the country of study by around the year 2020. The Rome Communication² (2020) emphasizes a flexible and open way of learning that can take place at any time, in any country, adapting to the needs of the learner.

In line with the European Commission's ambition to ensure that all European students have the opportunity to acquire competencies in any country during their studies (“studies without borders”), university teachers must be prepared to teach subjects (modules) in a foreign language, usually English, at any time. In this way, mother-tongue teachers face challenges, as they have to work in a new way and apply innovative methodologies (Perez & Masegosa, 2020). Teaching the subject in English becomes an innovative methodology for teachers who usually teach subjects in their mother tongue. The teaching of a subject in English (English as Medium of Instruction, or EMI) is affected by the acquired level of the English language, a different understanding of language norms and a different presentation of the subject content compared to the teaching of the subject in the mother tongue. As the teaching methodology changes, the changes affect the teacher's and students’ activities and teacher's competence as well as all curricula, which may affect the desired study results. The currents study seeks to answer the following research questions: what are the main barriers identified by the teachers practicing EMI in a particular university setting? What are the main challenges for a successful implementation of EMI?