English-medium instruction (EMI) in Higher Education is becoming increasingly popular in Europe. Based on an ethnographic case study of an English-taught Master’s programme at a German university, this dissertation assesses the role of the native speaker (both as participant and as abstract norm provider) in an EMI community of practice, identifies generic challenges of EMI and provides practical recommendations for EMI quality management.  In the breadth and depth of its coverage, this is a comprehensive study of language use in EMI and stakeholder discourses on EMI in higher education in Europe. It does not only contribute to linguistic research in the areas of sociolinguistics (English as a lingua franca / ELF) and applied linguistics (English for specific purposes / ESP), but also provides helpful insights into EMI practice with concrete recommendations both for EMI teaching staff and EMI programme developers.

Freiburg University