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Article In: Journal of English-Medium Instruction: Online-First Articles

Emerging research on the employability of English-medium instruction (EMI) graduates

A scoping review

ORCiD logo with link | University of Oxford
 | The Chinese University of Hong Kong
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Abstract
This scoping review focuses on the range and nature of research on the employability of English-medium instruction (EMI) university graduates, with a view to pointing the way forward in this emerging research interest. A wide-ranging and systematic search of the literature uncovered 46 potentially eligible research papers. Screening determined 14 empirical studies were appropriate for data extraction in concentrating on the experiences of EMI alumni within the labour market. The extracted studies focus on contexts within the greater Asian region. Overall, findings on the professional benefits of EMI study are mixed. An EMI degree may increase professional opportunities at home and abroad. Yet some EMI alumni experienced difficulties in acquiring suitable graduate-level positions and may not always receive enough workplace recognition. It remains difficult to reach firm conclusions about the vocational value of EMI study, however, as the corporate perspective on the value of EMI credentials in the job market is almost universally neglected. This overview of an important subfield of EMI research calls for a more sophisticated and contextually sensitive approach to researching post-EMI outcomes.
Article outline
  • Rationale
  • Method
    • Inclusion and exclusion criteria
    • Search strategy
    • Selection process
    • Data extraction and data items
    • Coding
    • Synthesis
  • Results
  • Discussion
  • Conclusion
  • References
References (62)
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