A Systematic Review of English Medium Instruction in East Asia: Challenges and Implications

English has been formally adopted by many East Asian universities as the dominant language in higher education to foster quality education. An increasing number of universities are now providing English Medium Instruction (EMI) programs to undergraduate and postgraduate students in a diverse array of disciplines, ranging from the humanities to the sciences. However, research has consistently shown that EMI poses significant challenges for teachers and students in achieving instructional goals due to limitations in English proficiency, especially in meeting the demands of EMI. Although much literature has been published on English language-related challenges in EMI, very little is known about these issues and their negative impacts holistically in East Asia. This systematic review offers a comprehensive understanding of the challenges associated with EMI implementation in higher education across East Asian countries. Based on empirical evidence from scholarly articles published between 2012 and 2024, this review confirms that English language proficiency continues to pose significant challenges for teachers and students despite the wealth of advanced research on EMI over the past twelve years. Unexpectedly, practical solutions remain insufficient in many contexts. This review serves as a wake-up call for EMI stakeholders (e.g., policymakers, teachers, and students) to reconsider their management and practices. Further research is needed to investigate practical solutions that address these issues and help teachers and students achieve EMI implementation goals smoothly.