English-Medium Education in Economics and Business Studies

Abstract With the advent of the Bologna reforms, English-medium education has become increasingly popular in economics and business studies. This paper is a work-in-progress report of the authors’ PhD projects, which both focus on English-taught programmes at Austrian business faculties. In the first section the studies are placed in a broader research context by identifying external forces that have triggered the rise of English-medium instruction in the European higher education context. This includes a discussion of how the Bologna reforms paved the way for more content teaching through a non-domestic language and why this language is usually English. Subsequently, a conceptual framework for this teaching approach is proposed and the question is addressed as to which term is most appropriate for this particular setting: CLIL, EMI or ICLHE? Based on these considerations, the different varieties of English-medium teaching at university and their underlying criteria are identified. Moreover, the research questions and strategies aimed at contributing to a clearer and more nuanced understanding of English-taught business education are outlined. The final section concludes with targeted outcomes and demonstrates the practical relevance of the anticipated results.