Beyond ‘Just teaching content’: exploring language-aware teaching practices to clarify the EMI-ICLHE continuum in higher education

Universities are increasingly offering courses in English or, less frequently, in other additional languages. This practice is often labelled EMI (English- Medium Instruction) when the focus lies on content, or ICLHE (Integrating Content and Language in Higher Education) when there are dual content and language objectives. However, these theoretical concepts encounter key issues in practice. First, even in EMI contexts, the additional language cannot be ignored, as it poses challenges for students and instructors. Second, the boundaries between EMI and ICLHE remain unclear, generating uncertainties regarding teaching aims and methods. This study addresses these issues through a practice-based analysis. Drawing on a community of practice (CoP) involving twelve lecturers teaching in English or Dutch at a French-speaking university, we describe four language-aware teaching practices that account for the presence of the additional language in learning objectives, teaching approaches and assessment. These data also highlight the specific role played by language teachers in courses taught through an additional language. Building on this empirical material, we propose an illustrated continuum of concrete language-aware practices from content focus (EMI) to content and language objectives (ICLHE). These findings are discussed to provide conceptual clarity on the continuum and offer guidance for researchers and practitioners.