Introduction to this volume

Introduction to this volume. The introduction provides a brief overview of English-medium instruction in Italy and Europe, highlighting the key issues. It then provides a summary of the volume chapters, bringing together key insights from the different contributions and the points they raise about this controversial issue in Italian higher education. English is increasingly used as a medium of instruction in European higher education not only in northern countries, but also in the European ‘south’. The introduction begins with an overview of EMI in Europe and the Italian context, and some of the arguments against the indiscriminate spread of English as a medium of instruction in higher education. It then summarises the chapters which focus on the microcontext of the university, giving voice to the various stakeholders in EMI. These include researchers, lecturers, administrative staff, those involved in professional development and students. The views and experiences of twelve EMI lecturers from a range of academic disciplines are analyzed and common themes which emerge from these chapters are highlighted.