Clarifying the EMI-CLIL continuum through pedagogical practices in English- and Dutch-taught courses at a French-speaking university
(2025) SYMPOSIUM ‘LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION’ — Location: University of Luxembourg (9.October.2026)
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- A growing number of universities are offering content courses taught in a foreign language, most often English. This practice is generally known as English-Medium Instruction (EMI), in which the foreign language serves primarily as a medium for teaching disciplinary content, rather than as an explicit object of learning. EMI is therefore often contrasted with CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning)which explicitly pursues dual objectives: content learning and language development. Although this theoretical distinction provides a useful framework, its application in practice remains complex. A foreign language can hardly function as a neutral medium of instruction, since its presence inevitably affects both students and lecturers. Students may face comprehension difficulties, reduced participation, or challenges in assessment, while lecturers must adapt their teaching strategies, materials, and evaluation practices. Furthermore, the line between EMI and CLIL is often difficult to draw, producing blurred boundaries, unclear learning objectives,and inconsistent pedagogical approaches. This presentation aims to clarify these distinctions by introducing a continuum of pedagogical practices situated between EMI and CLIL in higher education. Drawing on insights from a community of practice established with lecturers giving classes in English or in Dutch in a Belgian French-speaking university, we identify four practices that exemplify different orientations toward the integration of content and language. They differ in their aims, teaching strategies, and assessment formats. Grounded in lived experiences, this practice-based perspective contributes to concretely illustrate the theoretical continuum between EMI and CLIL while offering a conceptual tool for course design and institutional policy.
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Degrave, P. (2025). Clarifying the EMI-CLIL continuum through pedagogical practices in English- and Dutch-taught courses at a French-speaking university. SYMPOSIUM ‘LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION’, University of Luxembourg. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/274370