IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education)
Vol. 13 No. 1 (2026): IJEE (INDONESIAN JOURNAL OF ENGLISH EDUCATION)| VOL. 13 | NO. 1 | 2026

ENGLISH-MEDIUM INSTRUCTION IN ASIAN EFL HIGHER EDUCATION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF POLICY TRENDS, IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES, AND ADAPTIVE STRATEGIES

Ahmad Saifulloh (Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kudus, Indonesia.)
Muhammad Arif Al Hakim (Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kudus, Indonesia.)



Article Info

Publish Date
17 Jul 2026

Abstract

The expansion of English Medium Instruction (EMI) across Asian higher education has intensified post-pandemic, yet a comprehensive understanding of its implementation landscape remains limited. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, this systematic review synthesizes 15 empirical studies (2015–2025) from four academic databases to explore implementation trends, stakeholder challenges, and adaptation strategies in Asian EFL contexts. Frequency analysis revealed that linguistic difficulties were a primary barrier in 87% of the studies, pedagogical inconsistency in 60%, and language anxiety affected 53% of the combined participants. Thematic synthesis identified three core dimensions: top-down policies generating macro-micro gaps and institutional stratification; multidimensional linguistic and psychological barriers impacting engagement; and emergent adaptive strategies, including translanguaging, bilingual professional learning communities, and learner metacognition. These findings highlight that EMI is a complex educational ecosystem rather than a mere linguistic shift. This review offers a structured, geographically scoped framework for policymakers, institutions, and future researchers to improve EMI quality and equity in the region.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

ijee

Publisher

Subject

Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media

Description

IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education) is a peer-reviewed journal of English Education Department, Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teachers Training, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. The journal aims at improving the quality of research on the area of English education which is issued twice in a ...