Challenges and needs of students in the EMI (English as a medium of instruction) classroom Cover Image

Challenges and needs of students in the EMI (English as a medium of instruction) classroom
Challenges and needs of students in the EMI (English as a medium of instruction) classroom

Author(s): Merve Yıldız, Adem Soruç, Carol Griffiths
Subject(s): Theoretical Linguistics, Applied Linguistics
Published by: Akademia Nauk Stosowanych w Koninie
Keywords: higher education; English as medium of instruction; EMI; challenges; needs

Summary/Abstract: Although English as a medium of instruction (EMI) has grown exponentially in recent years, many perceived needs and challenges remain unaddressed. The present study investigated what kinds of challenges students experience when trying to study in an EMI context, and how they view their needs, gathering qualitative data from open-ended questions. The participants were attending one private and two state universities in Turkey. The students (N = 83, from 5 different departments, studying from freshman to senior levels) described various challenges and needs in their responses, including challenges with understanding technical vocabulary, lecturers’ inadequate use of English, code switching, the English preparatory-year curriculum, English language skills and the lack of language support in EMI programs. Results are discussed, suggestions made for further research, and implications for the teaching and learning context are suggested.

  • Issue Year: 5/2017
  • Issue No: 4
  • Page Range: 387-402
  • Page Count: 16
  • Language: English