A changing paradigm in language planning: English-medium instruction policy at the tertiary level in Malaysia

Abstract

The literature shows that English-medium instruction (EMI) programmes at the tertiary level in various parts of the world have positioned EMI as a language-planning tool to promote students' mastery of English. English proficiency is believed to be intertwined with the overall economic development of a country. In addition to internationalising education, the reintroduction of EMI in public universities in Malaysia has been used by policy-makers as a strategy for improving graduates' English proficiency, because their low levels of English are perceived as a barrier to attaining the national development agenda. However, the reinstatement of EMI policy contradicts the provision of the national language in the Constitution of Malaysia. This paper examines the nature of the policy and investigates how it is enacted in practice. It illustrates how the macro (national) and meso (university) language policies of EMI are negotiated in written form to avoid the 'sensitivity' of language of instruction in relation to contravening the use of Bahasa Malaysia, and how one university has responded to the push for the implementation of EMI. The findings indicated that the macro language policy goals did not trickle down to meso and micro levels as envisioned by policy-makers, which implicates underlying issues arising from provision and dissemination. The paper argues that this gap between policy goals and their implementation is a factor that should be considered in such a crucial planning strategy for the national agenda.