Introduction
The Resource Center for EMI (RCEMI) at National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) was founded in 2022, with its core mission being to help higher education institutions across Taiwan to establish and promote EMI (English as a Medium of Instruction) professional development programs. Supported by NTNU’s leading educational research and success in internationalization, RCEMI will create a forum for all Taiwanese universities and colleges to share bilingual education experiences and foster a common goal for all.
RCEMI is committed to training EMI faculty, teaching assistants (TAs), and academic literacy English tutors to enhance the efficacy of bilingual teaching, and to promote resources sharing and field-based cross-university cooperation in all of our partner institutions. The key services we provide includes the following:
1. Establishment of Cross-university Support System
2. Professional Development for EMI Faculty
3. Community of Practice Collaboration among Cross-university EMI Faculty
4. Online Training program for EMI Teaching Assistants
5. Training Program for Academic Literacy English Tutors
Establishment of Cross-university Support System
We have built a database of EMI Faculty leaders from different disciplines and with different expertise to better serve the particular needs of our partner institutions. In addition, we will facilitate discussion and communication among the beacon universities and colleges of the BEST Program, as well as other institutions, to identify challenges and possible solutions for each institution. Achievement forums will also be held for different institutions to share their success stories and lessons learned with respect to their EMI strategies, teacher professional development, English learning bridging, English curriculum planning and evaluation, and curriculum quality assurance approaches.
Professional Development for EMI Faculty
Our hybrid courses cover three significant areas involving a total of 20 hours of videos and in-person workshops. The courses are complemented by discussion forums and cross-university EMI faculty communities of practice to enhance teacher interaction and facilitate the sharing of teaching resources.
Community of Practice Collaboration among Cross-university EMI Faculty
RCEMI offers grants of up to NT$70,000 to institutions seeking to build communities of practice among EMI faculty members from different universities. These communities of practice will afford members the opportunity to exchange pedagogical ideas and collaborate on curriculum design and will serve as support networks for EMI teaching faculties across Taiwan.
Online Training Program for EMI Teaching Assistants
Our training program can help our partner institutions’ EMI TAs better understand the keys to successful EMI learning and effective class management. This will let them know what to expect and how to handle the stress that may come with their duty. By the end of their training, EMI TAs will be equipped with the essential knowledge of various EMI curricula and a full understanding of their role in EMI courses.
Training Program for Academic Literacy English Tutors
In collaboration with NTNU’s Center for Academic Literacy (CAL), RCEMI will assist partner institutions to train academic literacy English tutors, who will be assisting other students in strengthening their academic English writing and speaking skills.