Reconceptualizing The IBDP and IAL as English-Medium Instruction: A Critical Review of Policy and Pedagogical Implications for International Schools

Abstract

This paper offers a critical reconceptualisation of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) and International A-Levels (IAL) as forms of English-medium instruction (EMI). Despite their global implementation in international schools, these curricula are rarely analysed through an EMI lens, even though they serve increasingly linguistically diverse student populations for whom English is an additional language (LX). Drawing on a critical review of policy documents and literature, the paper examines how English is positioned, how language support is managed, and how assessment and pedagogy are framed. Informed by principles of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the paper critiques the limited and inconsistent guidance regarding support for LX learners. It argues that failing to conceptualise these curricula as EMI has led to gaps in teacher preparation, curriculum equity, and access. The paper concludes with recommendations for curriculum providers, policymakers, and international schools to better align educational practice with the multilingual realities of their student populations.