Impiani Zagoto, Restu Damai Laia, Lies Dian Marsa Ndraha, Senadaman Wau
As English-medium instruction (EMI) policies expand globally, concerns persist about their alignment with classroom realities, especially in multilingual and resource-diverse settings. This systematic review of 38 empirical studies (2015–2025) explores how EMI policies are shaped, interpreted, and enacted across macro, meso, and micro levels. The analysis focuses on policy goals and ideological framings, institutional mediation, classroom practices, and affective–identity dynamics. Findings reveal that while EMI is often driven by internationalization and economic agendas, its implementation is conditioned by local adaptations, institutional priorities, teacher agency, and emotional negotiations. Persistent challenges–including linguistic readiness gaps, limited support, and policy–practice misalignment–continue to hinder effectiveness, yet multilingual and participatory approaches show promise for sustainable outcomes. The review positions EMI as a dynamic, multilevel policy process and calls for contextually grounded, equity-oriented frameworks that recognize local agency as central to meaningful practice. © 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Department of English, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang, Indonesia; English Language Education, Universitas Nias Raya, Kabupaten Nias Selatan, Indonesia
