English MediumInstruction (EMI)

Quality Mark

RATING SCHEME FORHIGHER EDUCATION

PROVIDERS

Scheme Handbook

"The use of English language to teachacademic subjects (other than Englishitself) in countries or jurisdictions where thefirst language of the majority of thepopulation is not English" 

                                                                                  (Dearden, 2015)

Helping quality higher education

providers mark themselves out from

the competition.

Raising global standards in English

Medium Instruction.

English Medium Instruction (EMI)

Introducing the EMI Quality Mark

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1What is EMI?

Current estimates predict that by 2020 there will be two billion people using, or learning how to use,English (British Council, 2013).

The increased status of English as a global language has impacted all levels of education, withuniversities and other higher education institutions aware of the competitive advantages that Englishlanguage-proficient students can gain in the global job market.

One response to this in recent years has been the rapid growth in EMI, or English  Medium Instruction -where academic subjects in higher education institutions are taught through the medium of English,rather than through the language of the home country. This trend is set to increase further, as highereducation institutions continue on the path to internationalisation, targeting a diverse student populationto maintain a competitive edge in an increasingly dynamic sector.

Although the phenomenon of EMI within higher education institutions is increasing across the globe, itsuse within a faculty, department, school, centre or institution is not a guarantee of quality: there are noagreed guidelines for implementing EMI programmes, so how can prospective students and academicpartners make an informed decision when choosing an institution? How can institutions and facultiesdelivering EMI accurately assess their performance and strive for continual improvement without a clearbenchmark?

The EMI Quality Mark is designed to assess and highlight good and best practice in the delivery ofdegree programmes in English, identifying those faculties and institutions with a coherent and qualityapproach to EMI, quality teaching and positive outcomes for students, whilst also providing practicalrecommendations for further or continual development, as needed.

Why is the EMI Quality Mark needed?

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Who are we?

We represent a unique and expert partnership between two highly respected organisations, withsubstantial experience in researching and evaluating international education, and in reviewing andsupporting the implementation of EMI. 

UK NARIC is the designated UK National Agency responsible for providing informed advice andguidance on academic, vocational, professional and language qualifications, with a particular focus onstudent outcomes, admissions and programme evaluation.

Oxford EMI is an EMI training organisation specialising in training and support for universities which areinternationalising and who teach through English Medium Instruction. You can find out more about thetwo organisations in Section 5.

Our vision is to raise global standards in EMI by supporting Quality EMI Providers to stand out from thecompetition for international students and academic partners by providing objective, independent andexpert assessment of their EMI provision.

UK NARIC's global reach 

Over 900 member organisations from 55

countries Over 16,000 registered users of NARIC

databases and publications Over 180 projects successfully delivered

across the globe, centred on supportingfair recognition of qualifications andskills and promoting mobility for furtherstudy and employment.

Oxford EMI: active researchers

A Systematic Review of EMI in Higher Education(Macaro, E., Curle, S., Pun, J., An, J., & Dearden,J. 2018)

The Changing Roles of EMI Academics andEnglish Language Specialists (Dearden, J., 2018)

English as a Medium of Instruction - a GrowingGlobal Phenomenom (Dearden, J., 2015)

Higher Education Teachers' Attitudes towardsEMI (Dearden, 2016).

Director Julie Dearden's research includes but isnot limited to:

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Benefits of the EMI Quality Mark

Independent expert evaluation, informing ongoing quality development

The EMI Quality Mark is an international award underpinned by robust and objective quality indicators toenable a clear and independent evaluation, conducted by experts in EMI, international educationmanagement, admissions, teaching and assessment.

   The EMI Quality Mark scheme not only recognises strengths in your provision of EMI, but where

appropriate, will also provide practical recommendations to support and inform further qualitydevelopment.

Competitive edge

With English proficiency highly prized, both domestic and international student applicants are looking forthe best way to enhance not only their academic skills, but also their English language capability. With somany providers offering programmes through the medium of English, it is becoming increasingly difficultfor students to make a well-informed decision that can set them on the path to success. This is similarlytrue for international universities and higher education providers looking to identify quality academicpartners.

The EMI Quality Mark can be placed on institution or faculty websites and provide prospective studentsand partners with reassurance that the EMI provider is forward-thinking and dedicated to best practice.

Publicity and targeted dissemination

For those achieving the EMI Quality Mark - Bronze, Silver or Gold, EMI providers will be able to markthemselves out as quality providers of English medium programmes with the EMI Quality Mark logo andcertificate; and promote the findings through existing channels to prospective students and partners.

What’s more, UK NARIC will disseminate the key outcomes of the evaluation to a large, yet targetedaudience, of over 16,000 worldwide including, but not limited to, university admissions, internationalofficers, partnership managers, and government agencies.

Why should you apply?

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What will you get?

Those achieving the EMI Quality Mark Bronze, Silver orGold will additionally receive:

An executive summary outlining the key findings of theevaluation which you can publish and share as you wishwith prospective students and other key stakeholders.

A comprehensive evaluation report detailing your overallrating, plus a score for each quality area and component.

This is entirely for your use – and will not be published. It isdesigned to provide transparency in the evaluation processand identify clear strengths and areas for development, asappropriate.

Inclusion on UK NARIC’s official list of Quality EMIProviders.

An article in NARIC News sent to over 16,000 relevantstakeholders in over 900 organisations, plus a link to thestory on UK NARIC and Oxford EMI social media accountsto further promote the findings.

- A Quality EMI Provider Certificate - The EMI Quality Mark logo which can be displayed on

   your institution/faculty website and all promotional    material

A marketing and communications pack comprising:

The process

You may apply either as a higher education institution asa whole; or as an individual faculty / department / school /centre.

Which one you choose depends on the status of EMIimplementation in your institution – is there an institution-wide approach to EMI or is it primarily decided byindividual faculties or departments? If you're not surewhich to select, the EMI Evaluation Team will be happy todiscuss this with you before you apply.

To be eligible for the scheme, you must:

i) Be – or be part of – a nationally recognised /

   accredited higher education institution

ii) Offer at least one higher education degree  

   (undergraduate or postgraduate) taught wholly in      English.

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3Who can apply?

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RESULTS�

Drawing on the findings of the documentreview, site visit, and staff and student

surveys, the panel will score the provideragainst each quality component, noting

areas of strength and recommendations, as appropriate.

A comprehensive reportand standalone executivesummary will be issued, withone of four possible ratings:"Gold", "Silver", "Bronze" or"Developing".

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1

2

(add your own deliverable)

plotted along a timeline

If you're thinking of applying, please usethe online enquiry form at

www.naric.org.uk/emi

UK NARIC will respond within 5 workingdays to confirm your eligibility and provide

a full application pack, including theapplication form, fees and terms and

conditions.

15SECONDS OF

Once you're ready to apply,please complete the applicationpack in full and return along withthe requested documents, toemi@naric.org.uk

SITE�VISIT�

APPLICATION�

DOCUMENT�REVIEW�

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EVALUATION�

The evaluation team will undertake acomprehensive document review in

preparation for and following the site visit. 

See page 7 for a full list of thedocumentation required for the review.

A site visit by UK NARIC andOxford EMI experts to: 

- Meet with key staff - Observe delivery of classes

- See facilities and resources - Talk with students.

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INITIAL�ENQUIRY�

INITIAL ENQUIRY

APPLICATION

DOCUMENT REVIEW

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If you're thinking of applying for the EMI QualityMark, you can submit an enquiry through the UKNARIC website, at www.naric.org.uk/emi

This will ask whether you are intending to applyon behalf of an individual faculty, school ordepartment; or as an overall institution oruniversity. It will also request some preliminaryinformation on the scope and scale of yourcurrent EMI provision.

UK NARIC will review your initial enquiry andcheck your eligibility for the scheme beforeproviding detailed information on the applicationand evaluation process, the fees and timeframe.

The Evaluation Team will conduct a full andthorough review of the completed applicationform and supporting documents.

The application form and requested supportingdocuments should provide clear information oncurrent EMI programme provision and overallapproaches to EMI including, but not limited to:

  This review will help to guide the site visitagenda and enable the identification of anappropriate sample of programmes to review inmore depth.

Once the programme sample has beendetermined, further documents will be requestedfor each selected programme, including:

Once you've decided to apply, you will be asked tocomplete the EMI Quality Mark application form andsubmit it along with any relevant supportingdocuments.

From that point, you'll be assigned a designatedproject manager who will keep you informed ofprogress and liaise with you as needed to arrangethe site visit, request further documentation anddeliver the Evaluation Team's final report.

A faculty/institution statement or policy onlanguage usage and the status of EMI withinthe faculty

Structure of the faculty/institution EMI programme information, including a list of

all current programmes delivered fully orpartially in English

English language admissions requirements Staff recruitment and development.

Full programme outline(s)/handbook forcurrent students

Class schedules, to inform selection ofclasses to observe during the site visit

Assessment plan detailing key formalassessment methods and weighting.  

SITE VISIT

RESULTS

Two members of the Evaluation Team will conducta site visit. The visits are typically three days induration, though this will depend on the size ofyour faculty/institution and the number of EMIprogrammes.

During the site visit, the Evaluation Team will:

An Evaluation Report will be produced to ensuretransparency in the evaluation and decision-making process.

The accompanying Executive Summary willprovide the overall rating and scores by qualityarea, providing a clear and concise overview ofthe key findings to support internal and externalcommunication of findings, as desired.

Both reports will be subject to a final quality andvalidation review by UK NARIC seniormanagement prior to submission to the provider. 

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Tour the faculty/institution and campus Observe a range of classes

Meet with management and staff involved in theimplementation and/or oversight of EMIprovision at your faculty

Meet with admissions and student support staff Interview and/or host focus groups with a small

selection of teaching staff and current students Provide current staff and students with links to

the EMI Quality Mark surveys, inviting feedbackon their EMI experiences at the faculty in anonline anonymous survey.

On completion of the evaluation exercise,providers will be issued with an overall EMIQuality Mark rating: Gold, Silver, Bronze orDeveloping

This rating will be valid for a period of four years; after which, providers are invited to reapply.

Providers will be issued an EMI Quality MarkMarketing and Communications pack to guidethe dissemination and publication of the ratingand evaluation key findings.

UK NARIC will also support the publication anddissemination of findings for successfulapplicants, as detailed in Section 2.

Providers wishing to improve on their rating areable to re-submit for a follow-up evaluation butmust wait at least one full academic year beforere-submitting. This is to ensure that theEvaluation Team are able to reviewdevelopments and changes made in practice.

A site visit briefing and visit agenda will be agreedwith the provider prior to the visit.

Where necessary, further documentation may berequested following the site visit.

EVALUATION

Drawing on the findings of the document review,site visit, and student and staff surveys, you will begiven a score against each quality area and itsconstituent quality components, noting areas ofstrength and commendation.

This will also identify feasible and proportionaterecommendations for development, as appropriate.

Assessing quality

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All providers, whether applying as an institution or individual faculty/school, will be reviewed in four keyareas listed above. The following scoring thresholds apply:

Providers receiving less than 50% will be considered "Developing", working towards quality delivery ofEMI but with a number of key areas for improvement, which will be fully detailed within the evaluationreport alongside realistic, actionable recommendations to support those providers in reaching thestandard for the EMI Quality Mark in a subsequent evaluation.

Within each area is a series of quality components against which the provider will be assessed, with ascore given for each. This chapter provides an overview of each component.

Providers achieving 50% will receive a Bronze rating Providers achieving 60% will receive a Silver rating

Providers achieving 75% will receive a Gold rating.

Assessment and studentoutcomes

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Teaching and learning 

Admissions and studentsupport

Context and management 

Quality Area 1: Context and management (15%)

Document review, including institution or faculty-level policies; the website; and other materials forprospective and current students

Site visit, incorporating a tour of the provider and meetings with relevant staff Results of the staff survey, as applicable.

There is evidence of effective data collation and management of EMI performance and quality, togetherwith clear and fit-for-purpose processes in place for the development and internal review of EMIprogrammes.

This Quality Area is designed to look at the overall context and management of EMI provision within theinstitution or faculty, with some quality components also being considered at a programme delivery level.The provider will be assessed against four quality components, 1.1-1.4, drawing on the findings from the:

1.1 Language policy

1.2 Transparency and communications

1.3 Facilities, resources and support staff

1.4 Programme approval, monitoring and review

There is evidence of: (i)    A coherent institution/faculty-level policy on the use of English (and other languages as

       appropriate) (ii)   Clear measures to ensure new* academic staff recruited are suitably qualified to deliver the

       specified subject in English at the required level.

There is evidence of an institution/faculty-level approach to support the wider use of English, such as bi-or multi-lingual signage on site; access to relevant texts and other resources in English; support staffinvolved in advising international students being equipped with a sufficient level of English.

Information on the institution’s/faculty’s EMI provision is clear, accurate, accessible and appropriate torelevant stakeholders, including staff, prospective students and current students. There is evidence thatstudent feedback is appropriately sought and that there is a clear, accessible and formal procedure* inplace to deal with student complaints and appeals.

*Note: this may be generic or EMI-specific but there should be scope for students to register a complaint or appeal.

*Note: The institution’s/faculty’s approach to current staff development is also assessed under Quality Component 3.2.

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Quality Area 2: Admissions and student support (15%)

Document review, focussing on any faculty- or institution-level policies for admission, student supportand integration where in existence; review of the website; and other materials for prospective andcurrent students

Site visit, incorporating a meeting with key staff involved in admissions and/or student support Results of the student and staff surveys, as applicable.

This Quality Area is designed to look at the policies and practices for assessing student applications foradmissions and ensuring adequate support for students once enrolled on their chosen programme,coherent with the level of English expected upon entry. The provider will be assessed against two qualitycomponents, 2.1 and 2.2, drawing on the findings of the:

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2.1 Admissions policy and practice

There is a clear and transparent admissions policy relating to English language, supporting fairness andconsistency in admissions decisions and with evidence that this policy is reviewed regularly.

2.2 Additional student support

There is evidence of a coherent student support system for students, in particular incorporating a qualityprogramme of induction, clear access to an English for Specific / English for Academic Purposes coursefor students that are non-native English speakers and, as applicable, clear steps to support theintegration of international students among the wider student body.

Quality Area 3: Teaching and learning (35%)

Site visit, incorporating lesson observations across a sample of programmes chosen by theEvaluation Team and reviewing accompanying lesson plans and resources used; as well as smallfocus group discussions with students as appropriate

Document review, reflecting on any faculty- or institution-level policies for staff development andreview as applicable

Results of the staff and student surveys, as applicable.

This Quality Area is designed to look at the overall quality of teaching and learning through the mediumof English and the support and underpinning mechanisms to promote quality teaching across allprogrammes  within the faculty or institution. The provider will be assessed against three qualitycomponents, 3.1-3.3, drawing on the findings of the:

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3.1 Teaching quality

3.2 Academic staff: support and development

3.3 Quality monitoring of delivery

There is evidence of quality EMI teaching and learning activities, effectively supporting language andsubject knowledge acquisition by students. This will be gained by formal observations in a variety ofteaching and learning contexts and via targeted student feedback.

There is evidence of effective procedures for monitoring and appraising academic staff in relation tothe EMI provision.

There is evidence that the institution has a specific staff development policy in relation to EMI provisionthat caters for content lecturers as well as English Language teachers, where appropriate. 

Quality Area 4: Assessment and student outcomes (35%)

Document review, focussing on the course outlines and assessment plans for a sample of programmesselected by the Evaluation Team

Site visit Results of the student survey, as applicable.

This Quality Area is designed to look at the the assessed knowledge and skills and overall outcomes forstudents studying their degree programme through the medium of English. The provider will be assessedagainst three quality components, 4.1-4.3, drawing on the findings of the:

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In the Student Survey conducted by the EMI Quality Mark Evaluation Team, students are, overall, satisfiedwith their programme and the provider. The survey will be promoted during the site visit and will beanonymous.

4.1 Quality assessment: design, administration and marking

4.2 Academic and language outcomes

4.3 Student satisfaction

Clear and fit-for-purpose policies and procedures are in place to support fair and valid assessment of all students in relation to the intended subject and language-specific learning outcomes.

Through the review of a sample of programmes, the Evaluation Team will seek to establish:

(i) Whether the programmes and their assessment provide a fair, valid and reliable evaluation of students      in relation to the prescribed learning outcomes (subject- and language-specific).

    (ii) What conclusions, if any, can be drawn on the level of English language that students would have upon     completion of a degree programme taught wholly in English. Where possible, consideration will be 

     given to students’ receptive and productive competence (reading and listening; speaking and writing      respectively). 

In particular, where the same (or broadly similar) degree subject is also delivered in the home language,the  EMI  programme should assess subject knowledge and skills with a comparable level of demand.Similarly, where there are stated learning outcomes for English language, that these are adequatelyand appropriately tested.

More about the team

UK NARIC is the designated UK National Agency responsible for providing informed advice and guidanceon qualifications and institutions from over 200 education systems worldwide. It has performed this officialfunction on behalf of the UK Government for more than 20 years. 

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Fair recognition of skills and qualifications by institutions, employers and other key stakeholders,enabling graduate progression and mobility nationally and internationally

Providers to increase their market competitiveness and qualification uptake  Further development and increase quality and rigour through in-depth qualification and

institutional analysis, providing recommendations for development as appropriate Employers, professional bodies and national agencies to reduce bureaucracy and resource demands

in determining how qualifications compare against their requirements.

The information provided by UK NARIC enables organisations, institutions and government departmentsacross the globe to develop informed opinions when considering qualifications or training systems fromoverseas.

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During this time, UK NARIC has delivered an extensive project portfolio in the research, evaluation andbenchmarking of qualifications and faculties on behalf of higher education institutions, awarding bodiesand government agencies around the world. Underpinned by established and robust methodologies, suchprojects have sought to support:

Oxford EMI is an organisation which combines research into the growing global phenomenon of EMI and aknowledge of teaching to support academics, managers and staff in universities around the world.

The team at Oxford EMI is experienced, highly skilled and specialised in EMI. The team comprisesresearchers who have written seminal works on English Medium Instruction, education specialists andteacher trainers specialised in university education. The founder of Oxford EMI was Senior ResearchFellow in EMI at the Department of Education, University of Oxford until 2016. Other team members havemany years' experience in teaching, materials writing and training academics in universities around theworld. The team also includes subject and language specialists.

Oxford EMI has experience of working with hundreds of academics, managers and staff at universities inAsia, Africa, Europe and South America, enabling them to face the pedagogical and managerial challengesof internationalisation.

www.oxfordemi.co.uk

English MediumInstruction (EMI)

Quality Mark

RATING SCHEME FORHIGHER EDUCATION

PROVIDERS

Copyright © 2018 UK NARIC

The EMI Quality Mark is managed by UK NARIC, the nationalagency responsible for providing information and expert opinion onqualifications and skills worldwide. Delivered in collaboration withOxford EMI (www.oxfordemi.co.uk)

www.naric.org.uk/emi emi@naric.org.uk