The Impact of Using English Medium Instruction on Learners' Academic Performance and Their Learning Experience
Keywords:
EMI, EMI policy, academic performance, policy implementationAbstract
This study aims to investigate the impact of EMI on students’ learning experience and their perceptions towards the policy as little research has been conducted in this field. It supports the work of other scholars who have a critical attitude towards the EMI policy. This study provides a voice for voiceless learners who will talk about their academic performance. A mixed methods approach has been adopted to collect the research data. The triangulation was used in the study design to enhance the consistency of the data. A closed-ended questionnaire, interviews with both lecturers and students, and class observations were employed to collect the data. The findings revealed that the policy has not given the learners equal opportunities to study in the program stream. The learners at the institution under study were deprived of their human right to receive their education in their L1. This would create a negative impact on their attitudes especially those who are struggling due to their weak English although they were successful when they were studying in Arabic. Finally, appropriate measures need to be taken in order to better prepare the students for their study in English if the UAE intends to continue implementing the EMI policy at higher education institutions.
References
A. Solloway, “8. English in the United Arab Emirates: Innocuous Lingua Franca or Insidious Cultural Trojan Horse?,” in Language, Identity and Education on the Arabian Peninsula, Multilingual Matters, 2016, pp. 176–196. Accessed: Jun. 19, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.21832/9781783096602-011/html
D. Williams, “A Systematic Review of English Medium Instruction (EMI) and Implications for the South Korean Higher Education Context,” ELT World Online, Apr. 2015.
M. Mouhanna, “English as a Medium of Instruction in the Tertiary Education Setting of the UAE: The Perspectives of Content Teachers,” Mar. 2016, Accessed: Jun. 19, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/handle/10871/23758
M. A. Ismail, “Language planning in Oman?: evaluating linguistic and sociolinguistic fallacies,” Thesis, Newcastle University, 2011. Accessed: Jun. 19, 2024. [Online]. Available: http://theses.ncl.ac.uk/jspui/handle/10443/1102
I. Shah, “QUALITY OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN 21ST CENTURY - A CASE OF OMAN,” J. Educ. Instr. Stud., vol. 2, pp. 9–18, May 2012.
S. Troudi and A. Jendli, “Emirati students’ experiences of English as medium of instruction,” 2011, pp. 23–48.
D. Rogier, “Effects of English-Medium Instruction”.
“The effects of English as medium of instruction on Arabic as a language of science and academia | Request PDF.” Accessed: Jun. 19, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285164247_The_effects_of_English_as_medium_of_instruction_on_Arabic_as_a_language_of_science_and_academia
S. Troudi and G. Hafidh, “The dilemma of English and its roles in the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf,” Gulf Research Center, 2017. Accessed: Jun. 19, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/handle/10871/26690
“(PDF) The Arabic Language: Challenges in the Modern World.” Accessed: Jun. 19, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/307699956_The_Arabic_Language_Challenges_in_the_Modern_World
K. Ahmed, “Casting Arabic Culture as the ‘Other’: Cultural Issues in the English Curriculum,” 2011, pp. 119–137.
“Effects of English Medium Instruction on Students’ Learning Experiences and Quality of Education in Content Courses in a Public College in Oman - ProQuest.” Accessed: Jun. 19, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.proquest.com/openview/da28893a1e5a9051707ea3a247cbdf36/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=51922&diss=y
M. Ellili-Cherif and H. Alkhateeb, “College Students’ Attitude toward the Medium of Instruction: Arabic versus English Dilemma,” Univers. J. Educ. Res., vol. 3, pp. 207–213, Mar. 2015, doi: 10.13189/ujer.2015.030306.
O. Salem, “Arabic must be main language of UAE, urge FNC members,” The National. Accessed: Jun. 19, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/government/arabic-must-be-main-language-of-uae-urge-fnc-members-1.651886
R. Al-Mahrooqi, “A Student Perspective on Low English Proficiency in Oman,” Int. Educ. Stud., vol. 5, Aug. 2012, doi: 10.5539/ies.v5n6p263.
A. S. Al-Mamari, “General foundation program in higher education institutions in Oman national standards: Implementation and challenges,” in Oman Quality Network Regional Conference, 2012, pp. 20–21.
H. Belhiah and M. Elhami, “English as a medium of instruction in the Gulf: When students and teachers speak,” Lang. Policy, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 3–23, Feb. 2015, doi: 10.1007/s10993-014-9336-9.
“Problematizing English Medium Instruction in Oman.” Accessed: Jun. 19, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://platform.almanhal.com/Details/Articles/46745?lang=ar
“HCT-Catalogue201516-1.1.pdf.” Accessed: Jun. 19, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://hct.ac.ae/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/HCT-Catalogue201516-1.1.pdf
R. Barnard, “English medium instruction in asian universities: Some concerns and a suggested approach to dual-medium instruction,” Indones. J. Appl. Linguist., vol. 4, Jul. 2014, doi: 10.17509/ijal.v4i1.597.
R. Al-Mahrooqi, V. Tuzlukova, and C. Denman, “Tertiary Education and Communication Skills Development of Omani Learners: Student Perspectives,” Int. J. Commun. Linguist. Stud., vol. 14, pp. 15–34, Apr. 2016.
A. H. Al-Kahtany, S. M. G. Faruk, and A. W. Q. A. Zumor, “English as the Medium of Instruction in Saudi Higher Education: Necessity or Hegemony?,” J. Lang. Teach. Res., vol. 7, no. 1, p. 49, Dec. 2015, doi: 10.17507/jltr.0701.06.
W. Carr and S. Kemmis, Becoming Critical: Education Knowledge and Action Research. London: Routledge, 1986. doi: 10.4324/9780203496626.
“Critical Applied Linguistics: A Critical Introduction,” Routledge & CRC Press. Accessed: Jun. 19, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.routledge.com/Critical-Applied-Linguistics-A-Critical-Introduction/Pennycook/p/book/9781410600790
L. Buckingham, “Recognising English accents in the community: Omani students’ accent preferences and perceptions of nativeness,” J. Multiling. Multicult. Dev., vol. 36, no. 2, pp. 182–197, Feb. 2015, doi: 10.1080/01434632.2014.909443.
J. Cummins, Language, Power, and Pedagogy: Bilingual Children in the Crossfire. Multilingual Matters, 2000.
S. Pessoa, R. T. Miller, and D. Kaufer, “Students’ challenges and development in the transition to academic writing at an English-medium university in Qatar,” Int. Rev. Appl. Linguist. Lang. Teach., vol. 52, no. 2, pp. 127–156, Jun. 2014, doi: 10.1515/iral-2014-0006.
P. Ernest, An Introduction to Research Methodology and Paradigms. Research Support Unit, School of Education, University of Exeter, 1994.
S. Troudi, “Critical Research in TESOL and Language Education,” 2015, pp. 89–98.
“Language Policy: Hidden Agendas and New Approaches - 1st Edition - Ela.” Accessed: Jun. 20, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.routledge.com/Language-Policy-Hidden-Agendas-and-New-Approaches/Shohamy/p/book/9780415328654
G. Ferguson, Language Planning and Education. Edinburgh University Press, 2006.
A. Doiz, D. Lasagabaster, and J. Sierra, English-Medium Instruction at Universities: Global Challenges. 2013.
G. Hu, L. Li, and J. Lei, “English-medium instruction at a Chinese University: Rhetoric and reality,” Lang. Policy, vol. 13, Feb. 2014, doi: 10.1007/s10993-013-9298-3.
A. Kirkpatrick, “Internationalization or Englishization: Medium of Instruction in Today’s Universities,” Cent. Gov. Citizsh. Hong Kong Inst. Educ., Jan. 2011.
J. Dearden, “English as a medium of instruction – a growing global phenomenon”.
H. Nguyen, “Hamid, M., Nguyen, H.T.M, Baldauf Jr, R. (2013). Medium of instruction in Asia: context, processes and outcomes. Current Issues in Language Planning, 14(1), 1-15.”, Accessed: Jun. 20, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.academia.edu/5976231/Hamid_M_Nguyen_H_T_M_Baldauf_Jr_R_2013_Medium_of_instruction_in_Asia_context_processes_and_outcomes_Current_Issues_in_Language_Planning_14_1_1_15
D. Nunan, “The Impact of English as a Global Language on Educational Policies and Practices in the Asia-Pacific Region*,” TESOL Q., vol. 37, no. 4, pp. 589–613, 2003, doi: 10.2307/3588214.
P. Humphreys, B. Fenton-Smith, and I. Walkinshaw, English Medium Instruction in Higher Education in Asia-Pacific: From Policy to Pedagogy. 2017. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-51976-0.
S. Troudi and M. Habbash, “The Discourse of Global English and its Representation in the Saudi Context: A Postmodernist Critical Perspective,” in Intercultural Communication with Arabs: Studies in Educational, Professional and Societal Contexts, 2015, pp. 57–75. doi: 10.1007/978-981-287-254-8_5.
“Language Policies in Education: Critical Issues,” Routledge & CRC Press. Accessed: Jun. 20, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.routledge.com/Language-Policies-in-Education-Critical-Issues/Tollefson/p/book/9780415894593
J. W. Tollefson, “Language education policy in late modernity: insights from situated approaches—commentary,” Lang. Policy, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 183–189, May 2015, doi: 10.1007/s10993-014-9353-8.
J. Chapple, “Teaching in English Is Not Necessarily the Teaching of English,” Int. Educ. Stud., vol. 8, Feb. 2015, doi: 10.5539/ies.v8n3p1.
E. Macaro, “English Medium Instruction: Time to start asking some difficult questions,” vol. 24, no. 2.
F. Costa and J. Coleman, “A survey of English-medium instruction in Italian higher education,” Int. J. Biling. Educ. Biling., vol. 16, pp. 1–17, Jan. 2012, doi: 10.1080/13670050.2012.676621.
M. Qorro, “Does Language of Instruction Affect Quality of Education?,” 2007. Accessed: Jun. 20, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Does-Language-of-Instruction-Affect-Quality-of-Qorro/51cadc6b9ba3922894161686385dd5e079d30025
“Learning through a familiar language versus learning through a foreign language—A look into some secondary school classrooms in Tanzania | Request PDF.” Accessed: Jun. 20, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222426530_Learning_through_a_familiar_language_versus_learning_through_a_foreign_language-A_look_into_some_secondary_school_classrooms_in_Tanzania
R. Phillipson, “English in Globalisation, a Lingua Franca or a Lingua Frankensteinia?,” TESOL Q., vol. 43, Jun. 2009, doi: 10.1002/j.1545-7249.2009.tb00175.x.
S. Findlow, “Higher education and linguistic dualism in the Arab Gulf,” Br. J. Sociol. Educ. - BRIT J SOCIOL EDUC, vol. 27, pp. 19–36, Feb. 2006, doi: 10.1080/01425690500376754.
“The dilemma of English and its roles in the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf.” Accessed: Jun. 19, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/handle/10871/26690
N. D. Hunt, “Managing Method: A Critical Inquiry into Language Policy in a Tertiary Institution in the United Arab Emirates,” RELC J., vol. 43, no. 3, pp. 295–311, Dec. 2012, doi: 10.1177/0033688212463295.
“Qualitative Research Practice,” SAGE Publications Ltd. Accessed: Jun. 20, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/qualitative-research-practice/book237434
bloomsbury.com, “Educational Research,” Bloomsbury. Accessed: Jun. 20, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/educational-research-9781472522009/
E. Al-Mashikhi, R. Al-Mahrooqi, and C. Denman, “INVESTIGATING COLLEGE OF SCIENCE STUDENT ATTITUDES TOWARDS USING ENGLISH AS A MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION,” Jan. 2014.
I. Sivaraman, A. Al Balushi, and D. Rao, “Understanding Omani students’ (University) English Language Problems,” Int. J. Sci. Basic Appl. Res. IJSBAR, vol. Volume 4, pp. 34–39, Oct. 2013.
D. Wilkinson, “English-Medium Content Courses: Student Approaches and Strategies to Increase Comprehension Levels,” Int. J. Learn. Teach. Educ. Res., vol. 11, no. 3, Art. no. 3, Jun. 2015, Accessed: Jun. 20, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.ijlter.org/index.php/ijlter/article/view/340
M.-Y. Shen, “Toward an Understanding of Technical University EFL Learners’ Academic Reading Difficulties, Strategies, and Needs”.
R. Al-Mahrooqi, V. Tuzlukova, and C. Denman, “Tertiary Education and Communication Skills Development of Omani Learners: Student Perspectives,” Int. J. Commun. Linguist. Stud., vol. 14, pp. 15–34, Apr. 2016.
“An Exploratory Investigation Into Content Teacher Views on English as a Medium of Instruction Policy Enactment in the UAE Federal Tertiary Sector - ProQuest.” Accessed: Jun. 20, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.proquest.com/openview/59d802fafd471a3464f28fc4c0c59864/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=51922&diss=y
S. Al-Bakri, “Problematizing English Medium Instruction in Oman,” Int. J. Biling. Multiling. Teach. Engl., vol. 01, no. 02, pp. 55–69, Jan. 2013, doi: 10.12785/ijbmte/010203.
J. W. Tollefson and A. B. M. Tsui, “Language Diversity and Language Policy in Educational Access and Equity,” Rev. Res. Educ., vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 189–214, Mar. 2014, doi: 10.3102/0091732X13506846.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research (IJSBAR)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Authors who submit papers with this journal agree to the following terms.
