English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) at the University of Klagenfurt

A Study on the Attitudes and Language Proficiency of Students and Teaching Staff

Abstract

This study empirically questions the context of English as a medium of instruction (EMI) in a university setting, namely the University in Klagenfurt, Austria, where the primary language of instruction is German. English has been proposed in the study as a language of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), which is a teaching method whereby students learn a new content in a foreign language. Apart from examining the attitudes towards English in this respect and the levels of proficiency of the students at the University of Klagenfurt (AAU), the study also covered said attitudes and proficiency of the teaching staff. One survey was prepared for the staff and another for the students. Twenty links to different C-tests, aimed at attesting English language proficiency, were distributed across departments and faculties. 114 students took the survey and 75 of them completed the C-test. Moreover, 21 teachers completed the survey and 15 of them completed the C-test.