ABSTRACT
Over the last two decades, Europe’s higher education (HE) landscape has changed rapidly. One of the main manifestations of this change can be found in the increase in degree programmes taught through the medium of English. While the phenomenon is gaining momentum, it is fundamental to explore the perceptions and experiences of all those involved. It is with this aim that the present book sets out to showcase perceptions on English-Medium Instruction (EMI) from students enrolled in a variety of English-Taught Programmes at the University of Padova (Italy) over a two-year period. In order to outline the educational landscape from which the present book originates, this introductory chapter will provide a bird’s-eye view of the EMI phenomenon in European HE, first by describing its main triggers and then by mapping its provision at both Bachelor’s and Master’s levels across the continent. The chapter will also problematise the concept of EMI by addressing some of the complexities that are inherent in its most widely accepted definitions, as well as by looking at the main concerns that EMI has given rise to. Finally, the chapter will outline the scope and structure of this book and will highlight the features that make the volume a unique contribution to the literature on EMI in European higher education.
