Knowledge Atlas Analysis Of Research On English Medium Instruction (2000-2022) Based On CiteSpace

As the status of English is solidified as a lingual franca in the era of globalization,English Medium Instruction(EMI)has been highly valued in many countries and regions.During the first two decades of the millennium,EMI has had a profound impact on higher education in many countries like those in Europe as well as in China,where EMI is implemented to accelerate its higher education internationalization.EMI research,as an emerging field of English language education,has been booming and productive.However,most research outcomes on EMI in China to date are mostly limited to EMI practitioners’ experiential research in discrete classroom instruction and rarely involve umbrella reviews of the big picture.In this context,this study intends to visualize and analyze the trends and patterns of EMI research in China and internationally during 2000-2022,using Cite Space as the data processing tool and China Knowledge Network(CNKI)and Web of Science as the source of input data.The core part of this thesis explores the characteristics of domestic and international EMI research respectively and from a comparative perspective.This is viewed from four aspects: total number of publications,research hotspots,research fronts,research subjects,and collaboration networks.As revealed in the study,the domestic EMI research demonstrates the following trends and patterns:(1)Its growth trajectory has been rising for 18 years but decreasing in recent years;(2)Its scope of research mainly focuses on the internationalization of higher education and international student education;(3)Its representative authors and institutions are concentrated in the field of English for Specific Purposes;and(4)Its corresponding cooperative network density is rather loose.In comparison,the international EMI research demonstrates the following trends and patterns:(1)Its growth trajectory has been steadily on the rise until today;(2)Its scope of research centers on linguistics and pedagogy;(3)Its representative researchers and institutions are mostly based in the field of language and pedagogy;(4)Its corresponding collaboration network density is closer than that in China.The conclusions drawn in this study,particularly those based on a comparative analysis of domestic and international EMI research,are hoped to inspire and create momentum in EMI education and research in China.