Going global

The chapter reports on a study that investigates how the subject of English-medium instruction is handled by a Malaysian public university committed to internationalising the university and making its way into the top 100 universities in the world. In-depth interviews with 24 participants, comprising equal numbers of local and international students and academic staff, were conducted and analysed using qualitative content analysis. Findings reveal that the EMI policy is generally well accepted by both academic staff and students, in part due to the flexibility with which the policy is enacted. Not only is English not the sole language used in EMI classes, expectations made of lecturers and students in terms of type of English used and correctness also seem more realistic in keeping with the second/foreign language status of its speakers. The fact remains, however, that adequate levels of English proficiency are required for teaching and learning to take place successfully in English.