Q1. What is an EMI (English as a Medium of Instruction) course?

A: EMI refers to the courses offered in non-English speaking institutions where the delivery of content, teacher-student interaction, the learning and academic support materials, and the demonstration and assessment of learning outcomes are 100% in English. The relevant instructions are as follows:

1. 1. English courses that focus on language learning rather than specialized academic content should not be classified as EMI courses, except for ESL, EAP (English for Academic Purpose), or ESP (English for Special Purposes) courses, which should be emphasized.
   2. For EMI courses, 100% of the delivery of content, teacher-student interaction, the learning materials, and the demonstration and assessment of learning outcomes (such as oral presentations, assignments, or tests) should be in English.
   3. In certain circumstances, students may interact with each other in Chinese, for example, during group discussions where Chinese may be used briefly to facilitate creative thinking and brainstorming. However, students are still expected to present their discussions in English, and should be encouraged to use English more often in classroom discussions as their English proficiency improves or as they choose to take more EMI courses.
   4. Meanwhile, students should also present their discussions in English. The use of other languages in the classroom should be limited, and student interaction in small groups may be in other languages to facilitate mutual understanding and creative thinking, and teachers should ensure that at least 70% of classroom communication is in English.

Q2. How is the EMI course different from the original English-taught course?

A: EMI courses should be 100% in English for the delivery of content, teacher-student interaction, the learning materials, and the demonstration and assessment of learning outcomes (such as oral presentations, assignments, or tests). Student interactions in small groups may be in other languages to facilitate mutual understanding and creative thinking, and teachers should ensure that at least 70% of classroom communication is in English.

The only requirement for English-taught courses is that the teacher's syllabus and the delivery of content shall be in English (in some circumstances, this may be supplemented by Chinese), with no requirement for the percentage of students using English in class discussions or presentations.

Q3. How can students get information about the EMI courses offered by each department?

A: For course information, please refer to the course  catalog system and select "EMI" in the "Other Items" column. The "Remarks" column of the course will be marked with the word EMI.

Q4. What are the restrictions for students taking EMI courses?

A: For course requirements, please refer to the course catalog system, where detailed information on course requirements is available in the "syllabus" column of each course.

Q5. Can I see that the course is an EMI course on the student transcript?

A: Yes. A note will be added to the student transcript for the EMI course. In the future, the percentage of EMI courses in the total number of graduation credits will be marked, which should be helpful for students to apply for school or employment after graduation.

The Ministry of Education also provides the following benchmarks for EMI level certification.