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:
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.
EMI Level |
Benchmarks |
E1 |
Either up to 16 credits are earned from the EMI courses, or such credits earned account for at least 12.5% of the required graduation credits. |
E2 |
Either up to 32 credits are earned from the EMI courses, or such credits earned account for at least 25% of the required graduation credits. |
E3 |
Either up to 64 credits are earned from the EMI courses, or such credits earned account for at least 50% of the required graduation credits. |
E4 |
Either up to 98 credits are earned from the EMI courses, or such credits earned account for at least 75% of the required graduation credits. |
E5 |
Either up to 128 credits are earned from the EMI courses, or such credits earned account for 100% of the required graduation credits. |