Professional development through reflective practice for English-medium instruction (EMI) teachers

Abstract

The constraints and demands on teachers and students, related to implementing English medium instruction (EMI), mean that teachers need to be able to reflect on their practice and make appropriate adjustments. Reflective practice generally means that EMI teachers subject their philosophy of practice, principles, theories and practices to a critical analysis so that they can take more responsibility for their actions. Reflective practice allows EMI teachers to act in a deliberate, intentional manner. Reflective practice involves EMI teachers systematically looking at what they do, how they do it, why they do it, what the outcomes are in terms of student learning, and what actions EMI teachers will take as a result of knowing all of this information. Thus experience combined with systematic reflection can lead to professional growth so that we can become more effective language teachers. In this paper I discuss what reflective practice is and how it can be accomplished by EMI teachers.