Global ambitions versus grounded realities: the shifting employability of English-medium instruction graduates in Japan

Many English-medium instruction (EMI) students expect increased job opportunities due to studying a regular academic subject through the medium of English. The expectation is linked to the development of soft skills (like English communication and global competence), which are posited to offer vocational advantages. Few studies have examined EMI employability from both student and graduate perspectives to evaluate whether English-taught degrees are as professionally advantageous as assumed. This study presents data from a mixed-methods approach. A survey administered to current and former EMI students (n = 257) compares views on the professional advantages of EMI for the Japanese labour market. Semi-structured interviews with students (n = 12) and alumni (n = 12) enrich these findings and embed them contextually. Data reveal that current students have higher expectations as to the enhanced job opportunities EMI will provide, whereas graduates from these programmes have a more modest sense of the vocational value of their degree after entering the labour market. University affiliation and academic major also influence the nature and extent of the professional benefits attributed to EMI. The findings have implications that challenge fundamental assumptions regarding the value of EMI degrees and contribute to a more critical view of EMI outcomes.