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Since the in 1999 reshaped the landscape of higher education (HE) in Europe, English medium instruction (EMI) has become a prominent fixture in universities across the continent. But as universities race to internationalise, one key aspect has often been left in the margins: the identity of the EMI teacher.

Teacher identity in EMI contexts, often overshadowed by discussions of pedagogy and student outcomes, was the focus of a scoping review of 23 empirical studies conducted across the EU member states, as detailed in my recent with Hopkyns published in Review of Education. Using the frameworks by Arksey & O’Malley (2005) and Levac et al. (2010), our review mapped out how language use, emotional experience and identity construction are deeply entangled in EMI contexts, as illustrated by the main themes emerging from the literature (see figure 1).

Figure 1: Main themes emerging from the literature (Gronchi & Hopkyns, 2025). The x-axis displays the key themes identified across the studies. The left y-axis shows the number of studies in which each theme appeared, while the right y-axis indicates the corresponding percentages (n=23 empirical studies).

What emerged was a distinct pattern: for many educators, EMI is not just a shift in language, it’s a shift in one’s sense of self. The language used in the classroom can influence how teachers perceive their professional identity (and themselves as a whole). Some educators embrace their EMI identity, adapting and growing with it. Others resist it, often turning to multilingual strategies to reclaim their voice and legitimisation in the classroom. In either case, the choice of language becomes more than pedagogical, it becomes personal.

‘For many educators, EMI is not just a shift in language, it’s a shift in one’s sense of self … the choice of language becomes more than pedagogical, it becomes personal.’

One of the most critical insights from our review is that EMI can evoke powerful emotional responses. Teachers report feelings of disempowerment, anxiety and even inauthenticity, especially when their linguistic competence is questioned, either by others or by themselves. These emotional responses, in turn, shape teaching practices and professional beliefs. In some cases, language becomes a psychological obstacle, regardless of actual language competence.

This affective dimension is marginalised but deeply significant. As scholars like Yuan (2023) and Hopkyns and Gkonou (2023) point out, there is an urgent need to integrate emotional awareness into EMI teacher development. Teachers are often expected to feel energised and internationally empowered by EMI, but the reality can be far more complex, often marked by frustration, vulnerability and identity tensions.

Interestingly, while most European studies on EMI teacher identity come from Spain, there remains a lack of research across the broader EU context. As EMI continues to evolve, so too must our understanding of its impact, not just on institutions and students but also on the educators’ sense of self at its core.

Our review calls for more open discussion spaces, greater emotional support and broader research across different European contexts. If we want EMI to be truly sustainable, we must begin by acknowledging the people who deliver it, complex identities, emotions, and all.

This blog post is based on the article ‘’ by Michela Gronchi and Sarah Hopkyns, published in the Review of Education.

References

Arksey, H., & O’Malley, L. (2005). Scoping studies: Towards a methodological framework. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8(1), 19–32.

Gronchi, M., & Hopkyns, S. (2025). Teacher identity in English Medium Instruction: A scoping review of the literature on EMI in the EU. Review of Education, 13(2), e70074.

Hopkyns, S., & Gkonou, C. (2023). Sites of belonging: Fluctuating and entangled emotions at a UAE English-medium university. Linguistics and Education, 75.

Levac, D., Colquhoun, H., & O’Brien, K. (2010). Scoping studies: Advancing the methodology. Implementation Science, 5(69).

Yuan, R. (2021). Taking up EMI in higher education: The complexities of teacher emotions. Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 22(6), 673–681.