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Article published In: Journal of English-Medium Instruction
Vol. 1:1 (2022) ► pp.29–47

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Towards multilingualism in English‑medium higher education

A student perspective

 | Universidad Complutense de Madrid
 | Universität Wien
Published online: 21 January 2022
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https://doi.org/10.1075/jemi.21018.daf
Abstract
Reflecting the global push for internationalisation, higher education institutions (HEIs) have experienced a surge in English-medium education in multilingual university settings (EMEMUS). Of the many topics and angles pursued in the equally vast research landscape, multilingualism has so far received comparatively less attention, especially when approached from the perspective of students. By combining recent conceptualisations of multilingualism and of EMEMUS, this paper offers a qualified literature review, discussing four research scenarios that foreground different student groups and some of their multilingual experiences and practices. Based on the ROAD‑MAPPING framework, such discussions retain a level of detail that allows for a comprehensive interpretation across scenarios, offering insights into the complexity and fluidity of multilingualism within EMEMUS.
Zusammenfassung
English-medium education in multilingual university settings (EMEMUS, deutsch: englischsprachige Bildung in multilingualen universitären Kontexten) ist an Hochschulen stark angestiegen und spiegelt damit die globalen Bemühungen zu mehr Internationalisierung wider. Eines von vielen Themen und Blickwinkel, das in einer ebenso ausgedehnten Forschungslandschaft untersucht wird, ist der Multilingualismus, der allerdings bislang und besonders aus der Perspektive der Studierenden vergleichsweise wenig Aufmerksamkeit bekommen hat. Dieser Beitrag vereint die Konzeptualisierung von Multilingualismus und EMEMUS und analysiert anhand dieser die bestehende Literatur. Es werden vier Forschungsszenarien diskutiert, die verschiedene Studierendengruppen und einige ihrer multilingualen Erfahrungen und Praktiken in den Vordergrund rücken. Basierend auf dem ROAD‑MAPPING Modell bietet diese Diskussion detaillierte Analysen, die eine umfassende Interpretation der Szenarien ermöglichen und die Komplexität und Fluidität von Multilingualismus in EMEMUS aufzeigen.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • English-medium education and multilingualism through the ROAD‑MAPPING lens
  • EMEMUS from the student perspective: Current conceptualisations of multilingualism
    • Scenario 1: Focus on local students and bilingualism
    • Scenario 2: Focus on local and international students and trilingualism
    • Scenario 3: Focus on local and international students and multilingualism
    • Scenario 4: Focus on international students and multilingualism
  • Moving ahead in foregrounding multilingualism in EME research
  • Implications and final remarks
  • Notes
  • References
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