What is EMI?
What is an EMI School?
An EMI School is where the Medium of Instruction (MoI) for the majority of subjects is in English. Schools in Hong Kong are divided into 3 tiers - or 'Bands' 1, 2, and 3 - and historically speaking - excluding private and/or international schools - EMI schools are typically associated with higher 'banding', followed by an expected high literacy rate in students, high HKDSE scores, and followed by high university entrance rates, as the public generally perceives EMI schools to be better than CMI - Chinese as MoI - schools.
What are the problems with EMI?
Many EMI Schools are true grammar schools, where the school English curriculums are specifically designed to prepare students for HKDSE English exams, which are in nature, heavy on grammar. Virtually nothing is in place to ensure that students learn to appreciate and to be engaged in learning. Basically outside of the classroom, no-one ever speaks in English. The English standards and/or proficiencies of teachers/educators vary greatly, even in the same school, and the vast majority of teachers flounder with English in almost every namable aspect, from reading to speaking.