This book examines the ‘English mania phenomenon’ and the complex circumstances of adopting English Medium Instruction (EMI) by South Asian education systems and the effect of an uneven distribution of resources on the already under-resourced countries in the region.
Chapters explore linguistic, social, and economic injustices by using an analytic-critical approach to examinations of the place, role, provisions, and practices of EMI in specific English language teaching (ELT) contexts. The book consequently advocates for the wholescale reform of a system, which, the authors argue, is unjust. Ultimately, the book explores socio-cultural, poststructuralist, and English linguistic imperialism theories to contribute a South Asian perspective on the controversy surrounding EMI and examine its role within a wider global discourse on equity and social justice.
Critically examining the spread of English in South Asia, this book will be of relevance to researchers, scholars, and postgraduate students in applied linguistics, language education, TESOL, and sociolinguistics.
1. Introduction Part 1: Approaching EMI in South Asia 2. EMI in South Asia: The ideological Underpinnings and Practical Considerations 3. EMI in the Multilingual Ecology of South Asia: Historical Development, Shifting Paradigms, and Transformative Practices 4. Medium of education and inequality in university admission tests: Exploring the case of a flagship university in Bangladesh 5. Social Construction of EMI in India: Situating EMI within the Multilingual Education Paradigm 6. EMI, ELT and Social Justice: Case of Pakistan Part 2: EMI in South Asia: Historical Perspectives 7. English, EMI and Social Justice – The South Asian (Hi)Story 8. English Medium Education in Sri Lanka: From Colonial to Postcolonial Period 9. Bhutanese Education System: A Historical Journey 10. Trajectory of English Medium Education (EMI) in a Post-War Community: A Historical Perspective from Jaffna, Sri Lanka Part 3: EMI in South Asia: Policy and Pedagogical Perspectives 11. English as Medium of Instruction and Social Justice in Higher Education in Bangladesh and Nepal: A Capability Perspective 12. Substitute Chapter: Effectiveness of English medium instruction (EMI) at the Undergraduate Level at the University of Dhaka 13. Issues of English Language and Social Justice: Towards Bridging the Gap between Language Education Policy and Practices in India 14. Building or Bridging the Gap: Issues and Perspectives on Linguistic Ecology, Social Justice and EMI in the Context of Pakistan 15. The Changing Status and Role of English in Afghanistan 16. The Long Fingers of English”: The Impact of EMI Policies and Ideologies on Teacher Education Courses in the Students’ Mother Tongue in the Maldives 17. Policy Negotiations, Equity, and Social Justice in EMI Classrooms: A Study of Teachers’ Perspectives 18. Multi-Layered Framework of Promoting Social Justices in ELT Classrooms: A Case of Nepal 19. Afterword
Ram Ashish Giri is an Academic in teaching and research in TESOL, Monash College/Monash University, Australia. Amol Padwad is a Professor of English language education and Director of the Centre for English Language Education (CELE), Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University Delhi, India. Mian Md. Naushaad Kabir is an Associate Professor of English Language Education and the immediate past head of the Department of English Language, Institute of Modern Languages, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
