English as a medium of instruction and internationalization at Danish universities: Status, perspectives, and implications for higher education executives

This paper discusses possible policies to handle English as a medium of instruction for higher education (HE) in Denmark. It summarizes the de-facto status of the institutionalization of English as a lingua franca and EMI in Europe and relates the findings to the status quo of the academic and political discussion about EMI in Denmark. This discussion is classified into three typical approaches: the progressive, the conservative, and the radical conservative. The distinction is supplemented with the results of the author’s own recent study on EMI and the introduction of a fourth perspective: the ‘cautiously progressive perspective’. This perspective supports further introduction of EMI, on condition that careful attention must be given to the way EMI is implemented. Possible lines of reactions, implications, and recommendations are introduced. These are relevant for university teachers that wish to encourage their students to participate in EMI classes and for university management and administration in order to provide the necessary conditions for a reasonable EMI use. They could further provide value for potential employers that support EMI education, especially in the field of communication.