Understanding EMI and CLIL: Literature review

Abstract

Exploring educational contexts, this literature review examines the distinctions between English Medium Instruction (EMI) and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). While both instructional styles aim to enhance language proficiency alongside subject knowledge, they also exhibit distinct pedagogical approaches, objectives, and implementation strategies. The main emphasis of English-Medium Instruction is on delivering material, with a secondary focus on developing language skills. Content and Language Integrated Learning effectively combines subject and language goals, ensuring thorough integration of both aspects. This review meticulously analyses recent studies to provide a comprehensive understanding of the nuanced differences and similarities between EMI and CLIL. Employing a systematic approach, various academic databases, such as Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, Google Scholar, and JSTOR were exhaustively searched using targeted search terms to identify pertinent research published from 2010 to 2024. The findings illuminate various aspects of each approach, offer valuable insights for educators, policymakers, and researchers, and highlight the implications for teacher training and institutional support. It emphasizes the importance of a profound understanding of these instructional differences to make well-informed decisions tailored to specific educational settings and goals. Such knowledge is crucial for contributing to the evolving discourse on bilingual and multilingual education strategies and enhancing educational outcomes in diverse learning environments.