Enhancing academic literacies through EMI training:three perspectives on teaching towards the Certificatein EMI Skills at the University of São Paulo

Abstract

In many Brazilian universities, internationalization policies have led to increased pressure on academic staff to offer courses using English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI). In 2019, in order to offer support to staff adopting EMI, the University of São Paulo partnered with Cambridge Assessment English to pilot a Certificate course in EMI Skills. This partnership offers advantages but raises questions about the adaptation of a standardized international course and certificate in EMI skills for a specific institution. The present paper offers three perspectives on the pilot course – from the provider, an instructor, and the participants – and discusses their implications for USP and other Brazilian institutes of higher education.