Edinburgh Napier University

  English is a common language in the global shipping industry and many universities in non-English speaking countries in the world are now moving towards the use of English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) to deliver their courses. Such a medium increases students’ proficiency in the common language used and also allows institutions to recruit students from different parts of the world. Yet, delivering such instruction using EMI is not without its challenges. This paper uses an AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) and combines this with fuzzy theory to identify key indicators influencing EMI in the shipping courses of Taiwan’s higher education. Based on a literature review and expert interviews, an evaluation model with four indicators and thirteen sub-indicators was developed. Questionnaire samples included three groups: university English teachers (8), university shipping teachers (9), and shipping practitioners (8). Using 25 effective samples, the results found that teachers’ characteristics is the most important indicator, followed by syllabus design, university resources, and students’ characteristics. Results also provide valuable teaching and managerial strategies (e.g. curriculum adjustment) for EMI design in the university and industry sectors.