Professor Jangho Lee of Chung-Ang University Demonstrates Effectiveness of English Medium Instruction in International Study

Educational Effectiveness of English Medium Instruction
Empirically Verified Through International Collaboration

Chung-Ang University announced on the 18th that Professor Jangho Lee from the Department of English Education, in collaboration with Professor Hansol Lee of the Korea Military Academy and Professors Ernesto Macaro and Heath Rose from the Department of Education at Oxford University, has empirically demonstrated the educational effectiveness of English Medium Instruction (EMI) through a joint study.

(From left) Professor Jangho Lee, Professor Hansol Lee of the Korea Military Academy, Professor Heath Rose of the University of Oxford, Professor Ernesto Macaro of the University of Oxford. Chung-Ang University

English Medium Instruction refers to a teaching method in which the entire lecture is conducted in English. Concerns have been raised that this approach could hinder students' learning of subject content.

However, according to the results of this study, EMI was found to effectively improve learners' English proficiency while not having a negative impact on their learning of subject content.

The research team noted that previous experimental studies had failed to reach consistent conclusions, and thus conducted a multilevel meta-analysis of data from 28 experimental studies carried out in 11 countries, involving a total of 8,747 participants.

The analysis revealed that EMI was more effective in improving learners' English proficiency than traditional English teaching methods. Furthermore, when compared to traditional classes conducted in the native language, there was no significant difference in the level of subject content learning.

Professor Jangho Lee stated, "This study is a meaningful achievement as it empirically confirms that English Medium Instruction does not diminish university students' English proficiency or their learning of subject content," adding, "It will provide important implications for future higher education policy in Korea."

The findings of this study have been published in 'System,' a leading international academic journal in the field of education. As of 2024, this journal boasts an Impact Factor of 5.6 and ranks fifth among SSCI-level journals in the field of linguistics worldwide.