This report presents the context for English-Medium Instruction (EMI) in Higher Education (HE) in the Republic of Armenia and the experiences and attitudes of its key stakeholders. The research was carried out by Professor Andrew Linn between October 2019 and February 2020 and was based on visits to a selection of universities alongside a more extensive questionnaire study. The focus of the research was the lived reality of all those involved in the delivery of EMI, including Ministry officials, University leaders and administrators, teachers and students, with the largest cohort of stakeholders surveyed being the students.
At the time of writing, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia is consulting on a proposed new Strategy for the Internationalization of Higher Education and Research. A key strand in this strategy is ‘the development and implementation of educational programs in foreign languages [which] will make HE accessible to international students and will enhance the attractiveness of education for local students’. To help inform the development of the strategy, the British Council undertook to explore the current experience of EMI and its progress in Armenian Higher Education and to set out a number of recommendations for consideration.
The recommendations reflect the fact that EMI in HE is a ‘joined-up’ phenomenon and not one that exists only within the confines of university courses:
- It depends on English teaching in High School (both what is provided and how it is perceived)
- It takes place in an environment where English is used and experienced across wider society
- It sits alongside and interfaces with Armenian-medium instruction
- It is part of a multilingual reality for both teachers and students
- It feeds future employment prospects and responds to the needs of the local and national economy.
You can access the full report at the bottom of the page.