Investigating the Advantages of English Medium Instruction (EMI) in the Indonesian Workplace

Abstract

ia perceive the education that they received as applied in the workplace. Data collected from 139 conveniently sampled respondents reveal that there is a positive correlation between self-reported English language proficiency and job effectiveness, while there is a weak correlation between language proficiency and perceived respect gained in the workplace. It can be construed that the respondents put value on their English medium education as relevant in navigating workplace requirements. While the study cannot rebut the argument that English as a medium of instruction (EMI) may water down content expertise, the results of the study indicate that studying in the medium of English may offer a competitive advantage in the workplace. The study asserts that EMI may be a step in the right direction considering the widespread use of English as a business lingua franca and that the perceived advantages of an EMI education far outweigh the perceived disadvantages as reported in the literature.