7th EMI webinar –  Researching input strategies and interaction in the Italian EMI context

The webinar will take place online on Thursday, 5 June 2025, from 13:30 to 14:30 (CEST). It will be delivered by Cristina Mariotti, University of Pavia, and Francesca Costa, Catholic University of Sacro Cuore.

The Arqus Alliance is pleased to announce the seventh (and last) event in its English-Medium Instruction (EMI) Seminar Series for 2024–25, run by Maynooth University. The title is “Researching Input Strategies and Interaction in the Italian EMI Context”.

This seminar aims to reflect on the role of qualitative research in the context of EMI. The speakers will present a series of empirical studies conducted in Italian university settings as well as the edited volume Input in EMI, which brings together a variety of perspectives on this topic. There will be a focus on input, which will guide the exploration of several interrelated topics: how lecturers present content to support comprehension, the role of questions in fostering interaction and critical thinking, the ways different disciplines shape input strategies, and the experiences of both local and international students in EMI settings.

About the speakers

Cristina Mariotti is an associate professor of English in the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the University of Pavia, Italy. She earned her degree in modern languages and literature (English and German) at the University of Pavia, where she also obtained her state teaching qualification in English and completed a PhD in linguistics. Her work explores cognitive processes involved in content-based English learning, and she has published on the use of audiovisual materials in language education, with a particular focus on EFL. Her research also includes content and language integrated learning (CLIL) and English as a medium of instruction (EMI) in academic contexts, especially in relation to internationalisation initiatives. Her current research investigates the characteristics of input in EMI settings and the role of motivation in foreign language learning.

Francesca Costa is an associate professor in English and linguistics at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Milan. She taught English linguistics at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan from 2002 to 2017, scientific English at Università degli Studi di Pavia from 2006 to 2014 and English for primary education at Università degli Studi di Bergamo from 2017 to 2019. Her area of research focuses on applied linguistics, the teaching and learning of the English language at all levels of education (from primary to university) with a particular focus on EMI, ESP/EST and scientific English, translanguaging, CLIL, ICLHE, and bilingual education. She graduated with a degree in modern languages from the Università degli Studi of Milan and holds a bachelor’s degree in science and a doctorate degree (OU Department of Languages, UK).

Participation in the webinar is free, but registration is required.