Factors affecting student comprehension in EMI classrooms: Teachers’ perceptions

Yedil Nurymbetov, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Kazakhstan
Aizhan Shabdenov, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Kazakhstan
Yerkhan Abduldayev, SDU University, Kazakhstan
Akmarzhan Nogaibayeva, SDU University, Kazakhstan
Natasa Bakic-Miric, University of Priština, Serbia
Gulzhaina Kassymova, Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University, Kazakhstan

 10.21831/cp.v44i1.76221

Abstract


English-medium instruction (EMI) has become popular in educational settings worldwide and has attracted scholars’ attention, prompting them to investigate factors influencing student comprehension in EMI classrooms. This paper identifies the factors influencing students' use of English in EMI classrooms, which has become a significant issue within the field. The study's data were collected based on the results of interviews with English language teachers in Astana, and a thematic analysis was performed. It was determined that task comprehension, the teacher's level of English skills, and comprehension of terminology and lessons affect the students' English language comprehension according to teachers' perceptions. It was found that the identified factors can have both positive and negative effects. This study aligns with broader issues on the internationalization of higher education and the growing prevalence of English as a global language. It synthesizes research findings to identify key factors influencing student understanding in EMI classrooms from the teachers' perspective, providing key insights and recommendations for further research.

Keywords


English language teachers; English-medium instruction (EMI); reading and listening skills; task and lesson comprehension; thematic analysis

Full Text:

PDF

References


Abduldayev, Y., Zhussipbek, T., Nurymbetov, Y., & Nogaibayeva, A. (2024). Factors influencing English language use in EMI science classroom: A qualitative study. Education and Self Development, 19(2), 10-22.

Aguilar, M., & Rodríguez, R. (2012). Lecturer and student perceptions on CLIL at a Spanish university. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 15(2), 183-197.

Al-Bakri, S. (2013). Problematizing English medium instruction in Oman. International Journal of Bilingual and Multilingual Teachers of English, 207(1172), 1-15.

Alanshory, A. S. (2014). The effectiveness of using English as medium of instruction: An issue in Malaysia.

Bradford, A. (2013). English-medium degree programs in Japanese universities: Learning from the European experience. Asian Education and Development Studies, 2(3), 225-240.

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101.

Chang, Y. Y. (2010). English‐medium instruction for subject courses in tertiary education: Reactions from Taiwanese undergraduate students. Taiwan International ESP Journal, 2, 53.

Civan, A., & Coşkun, A. (2016). The effect of the medium of instruction language on the academic success of university students. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 16(6).

Costa, F., & Coleman, J. A. (2013). A survey of English-medium instruction in Italian higher education. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 16(1), 3-19.

Dearden, J. (2014). English as a medium of instruction-a growing global phenomenon. British Council.

Fang, F., Jiang, L., & Yang, J. (2023). To impart knowledge or to adhere to policy: Unpacking language ideologies and practices in Chinese EMI courses through a translanguaging lens. Language Teaching Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688231183771

Hammou, S. B., & Kesbi, A. (2023). English medium instruction (EMI) in Moroccan secondary schools: Science teachers’ perception. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 13(2), 271-292.

Hellekjær, G. O. (2010). Lecture comprehension in English-medium higher education. HERMES-Journal of Language and Communication in Business, 45, 11-34.

Kagwesage, A. M. (2013). Coping with English as language of instruction in higher education in Rwanda. International Journal of Higher Education, 2(2), 1-12.

Keuk, C. N., & Tith, M. (2013). The enactment of English-medium instruction (EMI) undergraduate program in Cambodia: Students' voices. International Journal of Innovation in English Language Teaching and Research, 2(2), 159.

Kim, E. G., Kweon, S. O., & Kim, J. (2017). Korean engineering students’ perceptions of English-medium instruction (EMI) and L1 use in EMI classes. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 38(2), 130-145.

Klaassen, R. (2001). The international university curriculum: Challenges in English-medium engineering education.

Le, T. D. L. (2015). Content lecturers’ and students’ challenges in EMI classrooms: A case study at a university in the Mekong Delta. (Unpublished master’s Thesis). Can Tho University.

Lin, A. M., & He, P. (2017). Translanguaging as dynamic activity flows in CLIL classrooms. Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 16(4), 228-244.

Macaro, E., Curle, S., Pun, J., An, J., & Dearden, J. (2018). A systematic review of English medium instruction in higher education. Language Teaching, 51(1), 36-76.

Murphy, P., Greene, J. A., Firetto, C. M., Hendrick, B. D., Li, M., Montalbano, C., & Wei, L. (2018). Quality Talk: Developing students’ discourse to promote high-level comprehension. American Educational Research Journal, 55, 1113-1160. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831218771303

Nagy, W., & Townsend, D. (2012). Words as tools: Learning academic vocabulary as language acquisition. Reading Research Quarterly, 47, 91-108. https://doi.org/10.1002/RRQ.011

Nogaibayeva, A. (2023). Exploring the use of ICT by language instructors at a university in Kazakhstan: Expectations, realities, and factors influencing adoption. Teaching English as a Foreign Language Journal, 2(2), 110-123.

Nogaibayeva, A. A., Kassymova, G. K., Triyono, S., & Winantaka, B. (2023). Language teachers’ ICT up-take in a single university in a developing country Kazakhstan. Cakrawala Pendidikan: Journal Ilmiah Pendidikan, 42(2), 295-309.

Phuong, Y. H., & Nguyen, T. T. (2019). Students' perceptions towards the benefits and drawbacks of EMI classes. English Language Teaching, 12(5), 88-100.

Pun, J. K., & Thomas, N. (2020). English medium instruction: Teachers’ challenges and coping strategies. ELT Journal, 74(3), 247-257.

Pun, J., Thomas, N., & Bowen, N. E. J. A. (2022). Questioning the sustainability of English-medium instruction policy in science classrooms: Teachers’ and students’ experiences at a Hong Kong secondary school. Sustainability, 14(4), 2168.

Rogier, D. (2012). The effects of English-medium instruction on language proficiency of students enrolled in higher education in the UAE. (Dissertation). University of Exeter, United Kingdom).

Rose, H., Macaro, E., Sahan, K., Aizawa, I., Zhou, S., & Wei, M. (2023). Defining English medium instruction: Striving for comparative equivalence. Language Teaching, 56(4), 539-550. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444821000483

Sivaraman, I., Al Balushi, A., & Rao, D. (2014). Understanding Omani students’ (university) English language problems. International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research (IJSBAR), 4, 34-39.

Tatzl, D. (2011). English-medium masters’ programmes at an Austrian university of applied sciences: Attitudes, experiences and challenges. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 10(4), 252-270.

Tran, T. H. T., Burke, R., & O'Toole, J. M. (2021). Perceived impact of EMI on students' language proficiency in Vietnamese tertiary EFL contexts. IAFOR Journal of Education, 9(3), 7-24.

Tsui, A. (2003). Understanding expertise in teaching: Case studies of second language teachers. Cambridge University Press.

Zhang, F., & Liu, Y. (2014). A study of secondary school English teachers’ beliefs in the context of curriculum reform in China. Language Teaching Research, 18(2), 187-204.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.21831/cp.v44i1.76221

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Bookmark and Share


 

Social Media:

     

 

 Creative Commons License
Jurnal Cakrawala Pendidikan by Lembaga Pengembangan dan Penjaminan Mutu Pendidikan UNY is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at https://journal.uny.ac.id/index.php/cp/index.

Translator
 
 web analytics
View Our Stats