Keywords
medium of instruction
English taught programme
higher education
medical higher education institution
Europe
How to Cite
Abstract
In press
Background. English-Medium Instruction (EMI) is a popular trend in modern higher education. Statistical data indicate a constant increase in the number of English-Taught Programmes (ETP) and courses, and Europe is the world leader in EMI implementation. Programmes in Medicine and Health Sciences are not included in the group of main ETPs in the world, European indicators of their number are lower than global, but they also demonstrate an increase in the number. Since these programmes were not described in detail, the aim of our work was to study the availability, distribution, and features of ETPs in Medicine and Health Sciences in Europe.
Materials and Methods. Information from the websites of medical schools of the European Union/European Economic Area was studied using systematic analysis, comparative and bibliosemantic methods. The analysis covered 577 ETPs (160 higher education institutions from 26 countries where English has the status of a foreign language).
Results. EMI in Medicine and Health Sciences has been implemented in two forms: single medium and partial (bilingual). The leader in the total number of completely ETPs is the Netherlands. The most common are Master programmes. Single-cycle programmes in medicine, dentistry and pharmacology are available in the Baltic countries, Central East Europe, South East Europe, South West Europe. Bachelor programmes in English are the smallest in number and are offered in selected countries. Bilingual programmes were found in Spain, Austria, Luxembourg, and Sweden.
Conclusions. Teaching Medicine and Health Sciences in the medium of English is a common practice in the EU/EEA, but the choice of the type of teaching (single medium or bilingual) and the education level depend on the language policy of the country, the target group of students, and the internationalization strategy of a particular higher education institution.
Keywords: English language, medium of instruction, English taught programme, higher education, medical higher education institution, Europe.
Archived: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15245658
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