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Article published In: Journal of English-Medium Instruction
Vol. 1:1 (2022) ► pp.105–123

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Assessment and English as a medium of instruction

Challenges and opportunities

 | The Open University
 | Oxford University Press
 | The Open University
 | Stockholm University
 | Stockholm University
Published online: 21 January 2022
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jemi.21019.hul
Abstract
As English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) continues to expand across the globe, there is a glaring absence of research on assessment. This article reviews the scarce literature to date and maps out a research agenda for the future. Drawing on Shohamy’s (Shohamy, E. (2001). The power of tests: A critical perspective on the uses of language tests. Pearson.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar, 2007) Critical Language Testing and McNamara, T., Knoch, U., & Fan, J. (2019). Fairness, justice, and language assessment: The role of measurement. Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar notions of “fair” and “just” language assessment, our reading of the literature to date is that it has revealed considerable complexities around implementing assessment in EMI contexts, with key questions centring not only on what and who to assess but also on how and why assessment should take place. In outlining a research agenda for the future, we suggest that one way of bypassing such challenges may be to carve out a greater role for assessment for learning in higher education. This could capitalize on – and raise stakeholders’ awareness of – bodies of knowledge that are well established within applied linguistics about the integral role of language in learning. Whilst we acknowledge challenges in securing institutional buy-in for putting this agenda into practice, we suggest that doing so could turn assessment challenges into opportunities and significantly enhance learning not only in EMI contexts but beyond.
सार
मुल्यांकन र अंग्रेजी माध्यमको शिक्षा: चुनौतीहरु र अवसरहरु
अङ्ग्रेजी माध्यमको शिक्षा (EMI) को विश्वभर विस्तार हुँदै गए पनि, EMI मा मूल्याङ्कन अनुसन्धानको स्पष्ट अभाव देखिनछ। यस लेखले हाल सम्मको दुर्लभ यो क्षेत्रमा भएको अनुसन्धानको समीक्षा गर्दछ र भविष्यको लागि अनुसन्धान एजेन्डा नक्सा कोर्दछ। शोमामीको (२००१, २००७) ‘क्रिटिकल लैंग्वेज टेस्टिंग’ र म्याकनामारा र अन्य (२०१९) को “निष्पक्ष” र “न्याय पूर्ण” भाषा मूल्याङ्कनका धारणालाई मध्य नज़र राख्दा, आजसम्मको अनुसन्धानको समीक्षले EMI मा मूल्याङ्कन कार्यान्वयन गनै क्रममा धेरै जटटलताहरू प्रकट गरेको छ | साहित्यको हाम्रो पढाइले मूल्याङ्कन कार्यान्वयनमा धेरै जटिलताहरू प्रकट गरेको छ। EMI सन्दर्भहरूमा, मुख्य ज़टिल प्रश्नहरू के र कसलाई मूल्याङ्कन गर्नुपर्छ भन्नेमा समेत केन्द्रित हुनुपनै देखिनछ। भविष्यको लागि अनुसन्धान एजेन्डाको रूपरेखामा, कोनर्को लागि, हामी सुझाव दिन्छौं कि त्यसता चुनौतिहरूलाई सामना गर्ने एउटा तरिका उच्च शिक्षामा ‘सिकाइको लागि मूल्याङ्कन’ लाई ठूलो भूमिका निर्वाह गर्नु दिनु हो। यसले भाषाविज्ञानमा भाषाकोराम्ररी स्थापित भएको ज्ञान या मान्यता- सिकाइमा भाषाको अभिन्न भूमिकाको- र सरोकारवालाहरूको चेतना बढाउन सक्छ। यस एजेन्डालाई व्यवहारमा उतार्नका लागि संस्थागत सहमती प्राप्त गर्ने चुनौतीहरू स्वीकार गर्दा, हामी सुझाव दिन्छौं कि त्यसो गर्दा मूल्याङ्कन चुनौतीहरू परिणत गर्न सकिन्छ र EMI भित् मात्र नभई बाहिर सिकाइलाई उल्लेखनीय रूपमा वृद्धि गर्न सकिन्छ।
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Theoretical developments
  • Where are we now? An overview of existing research
    • Assessment of content lecturers
    • Student entry requirements
  • Where should we go next: Assessment for learning
    • South Africa
    • United Kingdom
    • Sweden
  • How do we put it into practice: Securing institutional buy-in
  • Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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