Journal of Education and Human Development

English Medium Instruction Class: A Case for Language Policy and Planning
Bambang Suwarno, Eka Novita, Arasuli

Abstract
One way to enhance educational competitiveness in the global age is the development of English medium instruction (EMI) class. The development involves two questions, i.e., (1) whether such a class is feasible, and (2) whether a language policy and planning framework exists for such a program. This study attempts to answer the questions through a policy study. Firstly, an experiment was conducted at the English department at Universitas Bengkulu, Indonesia, in which a statistics course was conducted in English. Secondly, analysis was performed on two relevant Indonesian laws. The results were as follows. Firstly, the class average was > 70 and 92 % of the students got > 70 for their combined final scores. This showed that it might be feasible to set up an EMI. Further study is required to explore if such a class could be developed for non-English department students. Secondly, in Indonesian laws, the Indonesian language is obligatory for the medium of instruction. There are some provisions for English as the medium of instruction; however, their scopes are not very clear. Further study is required to find out the scopes and whether local language planning for EMI is possible.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jehd.v7n1a17