English-Medium Education and the ROAD-MAPPING framework: Approaching the internationalisation of universities from an applied linguistic perspective

Ute Smit
University of Vienna
|

Two decades into the 21st century, it is fair to say that the internationalisation of higher education (IofHE) and, concurrently, the use of English to achieve such internationalisation is an indisputable reality (De Wit & Altbach 2020). However, under the seemingly homogenising label of ‘English-medium education’ (EME) we find a wide range of complex and highly situated phenomena that come in different shapes and forms (Bolton, 2024). To examine these multi-faceted realities in a comprehensive and holistic way, this talk will argue for the use of a conceptual framework known under the acronym of ROAD-MAPPING, which is anchored conceptually in sociolinguistic and ecolinguistic approaches as well as language policy research (Dafouz & Smit 2016, 2020). After introducing the ROAD-MAPPING framework, I will illustrate its wide usage spanning the micro, meso and macro levels, by elaborating, firstly, how it can be applied to describe EME and inform policies in different countries, secondly, how it allows for (re-)interpreting classroom discourse research, and thirdly how it can be used to design IofHE research projects going beyond EME.

References

Bolton, K., Botha, W., & Lin, B. T. L. (Eds.). (2024). The Routledge Handbook of English-medium instruction in higher education. Routledge.

Dafouz, E., & Smit, U. (2016). Towards a dynamic conceptual framework for English Medium Education in Multilingual University Settings. Applied Linguistics, 37(3), 397–415.

Dafouz, E., & Smit, U. (2020). ROAD-MAPPING English medium education in the internationalised university. Palgrave Macmillan.

De Wit, H., & Altbach, P. G. (2020). Internationalization in higher education: Global trends and recommendations for its future. Policy Reviews in Higher Education, 5(1), 28–46. https://doi.org/10.1080/23322969.2020.1820898