Challenges of Using EMI in Teaching and

International Journal of Social Sciences & Educational Studies
ISSN 2520-0968 (Online), ISSN 2409-1294 (Print), March 2019, Vol.5, No.3
Challenges of Using EMI in Teaching and Learning of University Scientific
Disciplines: Student Voice

Abdulwahid Qasem Al Zumor1
1
King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
Correspondence: Abdulwahid Qasem Al Zumor, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Email: [email protected]
Received: December 11, 2018 Accepted: January 17, 2019 Online Published: March 1, 2019
doi: 10.23918/ijsses.v5i3p1
Abstract: The main objective of the study is to identify students’ perceptions regarding lecture
comprehension, communication, pedagogy, assessment, and affect in an English Medium Instruction (EMI)
setting. The participants in this study are 264 Saudi students studying Computer Science, Engineering, and
Medicine at King Khalid University. A questionnaire with a four-point Likert scale was used to survey the
participants’ views on the challenges they encounter as a result of the use of EMI for teaching and learning
scientific disciplines. The collected data were analysed quantitatively with SPSS and qualitatively by using
the content analysis method. The major findings of the study indicate that using English language to teach
scientific disciplines has a seriously negative impact on the scientific content comprehension and assessment
of a majority of the students in the present study. The study recommends ensuring quality English education
in the foundation year and examining the option of “additive bilingual education”.
Keywords: English Medium Instruction, Arabic Medium Instruction, Lecture Comprehension, Language
Education Policy, Higher Education, Language Barrier
1. Introduction
In most Arab education institutions, the shift from a school education that provides Arabic medium
instruction (henceforth, AMI) to tertiary education, which provides English medium instruction
(henceforth, EMI) for students with scientific majors is a big challenge, especially in the absence of an
efficient English preparatory program. Shamim, Abdelhalim and Hamid (2016) call for providing
research-based support to facilitate the shift in the medium of instruction from Arabic in high school to
English in higher education settings. This educational shift in the medium of instruction, though
sometimes institutionally justified, conveys several challenges to students, teachers and institutions
which are related to instruction delivery, assessment, communication and the quality of learning
outcomes. To illustrate, Al Abdul-Rahman (2010) argues “indeed, the reality of teaching medicine in
Arab countries in foreign languages is evidence of psychological defeat, especially if we admit that the
graduates do not often have the ability to write one page in English without making many mistakes.
Moreover, they avoid involvement in academic discussions due to their low proficiency in the foreign
language. The reason is that students‟ English proficiency is low, and what they learn is a hybrid of both
Arabic and English. In addition, their academic reading is slow which results in relying on summaries
and notes rather than reading textbooks”.
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Given this significant shift, this study was designed to examine students' attitudes towards this change in
the medium of instruction and how they adapt to it and to examine what impact this shift may have on
the quality of teaching and learning. Before delving into the details of this study, it is necessary to begin
discussing this issue in a conceptual framework that helps identify the problem and its roots.
2. Conceptual Framework
Research has provided solid evidence that mother tongue education leads to better academic
performance. It has demonstrated the close relationship between teaching in the mother tongue and good
academic achievement (Markee, 2002; William & Cooke 2002). Similar findings have been observed in
several UNESCO studies and literature (1953, 2008). However, the global spread of English has brought
about a new higher education scenario in which mother tongues in many non-Anglophone countries
worldwide have taken a backseat to English, leading to a flourishing area of research called EMI.
According to Madhavan (2016) EMI is “teaching subjects using the English language without explicit
language learning aims and usually in a country where English is not spoken by a majority of the
people.” Scholars, researchers, and policy makers present several arguments to support this move. The
first is the role that English now plays within the geopolitical framework worldwide. It has become
almost the sole contact language for trade, commerce, diplomacy, and scholarship (Kirkpatrick 2010).
The second argument is the growth of higher education in the world in general and in Asia in particular
where obviously, “you can see the hunger for learning” (Pie News, 2015). Students from Asia represent
over half of the world‟s mobile international students (IEAA, 2015). A third argument stems from the
policy actions of governments in several Asian countries in relation to internationalization. EMI has
become the most important feature of macrolevel language policy and planning over the past twenty-five
years, both regionally (i.e., policies formed Asia-wide), locally (i.e., policies formulated by ministries of
education), and institutionally (i.e., policies approved by individual universities). Dearden (2014) notes
these arguments aim to develop foreign language skills, enabling students to work in a foreign language
environment and become bilingual and multilingual, enhancing their education to respond to
globalization, preparing students for postgraduate studies, and attracting foreign students to local
universities.
The present study is informed by a critical theoretical approach and draws critical applied linguistics
(CAL) to inform the interpretation of the data. One of the central aims of CAL is to problematize given
truths, by revisiting their relevance and efficacy (Pennycook, 2001). This theoretical approach explores
aspects of our educational reality that have been taken for granted and are identified as “naturalized”
assumptions to be questioned (Pennycook, 2001). It follows that CAL can highlight the problematization
of a given reality, along with the unchallenged assumptions which shape language policy. Spolsky
(2004) argues that all the language practices, beliefs, and management decisions of a community or
polity are driving forces for language choice. CAL, however, calls for scrutiny of decisions made at the
administrative levels, which subsequently influence the educational process, including pedagogical
decisions made in the classroom and quality of learning.
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3. Aims and Significance of the Study
The main objective of this study is to identify some of the challenges faced by students in tertiary Saudi
Arabian education due to the use of a foreign language as the medium of education and the need to
seriously think in support of a new language policy and planning that ensures the preservation of the
status of Arabic language and its role in higher education and the utilization of English as a window
through which global scientific production can be accessed.
This study is important in that it tries to identify the impact of the use of English as a language of
education in scientific disciplines on the educational situation inside and outside lecture halls, and then it
emphasizes the need to adopt a language policy plan that preserves the educational function of Arabic
and provides an environment of additional rather than subtractive bilingualism (Luckett, 1993).
4. Literature Review
Many studies have examined the impact of EMI on university education in non-English speaking
countries. Phillipson (2015) argues that such a situation is an example of linguistic dominance. He called
for the linguistic dualism that generates not an English-only policy that affects mother tongue, but rather
maintains cultural heritage and linguistic diversity. Mahboob (2017) discussed the “imposition” of
English language in Pakistani higher education and the effect it has on creating class discrimination
among students in a single society. In Vietnam, Manh‟s study (2012) addressed some of the factors that
could cause the long-term failure of education as a result of the application of a foreign monolingual
policy in university education programs. In the same context, Vu and Burns (2014) studied the
challenges affecting higher education as a result of using the English language as a medium of
instruction. These problems include the weakness of the teaching staff‟s English, language proficiency
of the students, learning methods, teaching methods and the availability of appropriate resources.
Basibek et al. (2014) share the same concern in their study on engineering departments of Turkish public
universities.
In a study linked to EMI challenges, Wiseman and Odell (2014) believe that lecturers in such an
educational environment believe that their role is not to help students understand English, which is the
language of scientific content, but to provide content in English whether the student understands it or
not. Knagg (2013), in his study from the perspective of the British Council, argues that this type of
teaching requires highly educated students and strong English preparation. He also states that this type of
education is either detrimental or helpful. It could harm due to the lack of coverage of the curriculum in
depth which is caused by the language barrier; this view is shared by Kirkgoz (2005) and Darden (2014).
According to Marsh (2006), the use of English as a language of instruction in schools in some poor
countries is directly linked to educational failure and deprivation. Macaro (2015) addresses the situation
inside the classroom and tries to discover whether the educational process becomes less interactive
between parties due to the use of a foreign language as a teaching language. He concludes that
contemporary scientific research supports this finding; Airey and Linder (2006) reach the same
conclusion. Similarly, Sert (2008) and Tamtam et al. (2012) show the ineffectiveness of using English to
present scientific content as well as its negative impact on students' critical thinking abilities.
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Williams (2015) in South Korea argues that the challenges to the learning process of using English as a
language of instruction are greater than opportunities for all parties, and this may be a natural
consequence of implementing an accelerated language policy without paying attention to the necessary
academic support. Kim (2011) believes that the purpose of this type of education is to upgrade the global
and local ranking of institutions rather than the needs of students.
The situation in the Arab world is not different from the abovementioned environments. Several studies
have addressed similar challenges in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Troudi and Hafiza
(2017) study the dilemma of the English language and its role in the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf
states and argue that the link between the use of English as a language of instruction and the decline of
Arabic as a language of scientific and academic affairs is absent in the academic discourse in the region.
The study also shows the double burden on students when they are forced to study in a language other
than their own and to internalize the scientific content. Bowman (2011) wonders whether EMI in UAE
serves local or global needs. In a survey study by Troudi and Jendli (2011), the students' opinions on the
employment of EMI are investigated, and the study finds that they link the issue of Arabic to the
discourse of identity as well as cultural and linguistic heritage. The study also criticizes the discourse
that deepens the imposition of the reality that English is the only language of science and academia and
restricts the Arabic language in the expression of cultural and religious heritage only. The study confirms
the possibility of coexistence between the two languages in the academic environment. In the Qatari
context, Pessoa and RajKumar (2011) demonstrate that although the prevalence of English is in line with
the state's rapid modernization, there is fear and anxiety about the loss of the Arabic language in
academic and professional roles.
As far as the Saudi context is concerned, several studies exist that address EMI in higher education. For
instance, Shamim et al. (2016) discusses English language in the preparatory year at Taibah University
and the challenges that faculty members and students face, such as students‟ weakness in the English
language, and how to address these challenges and their impact on scientific content learning. Ebad
(2014) highlights the knowledge gap between teaching and learning and between teachers and students
as a result of the use of EMI in higher education and modest Arabization efforts. Alhamami (2015)
addresses the teaching of scientific courses in Arabic from the perspective of specialists who teach these
courses at the university. The study results show that most of teachers prefer to teach specialized
scientific courses in the mother tongue because the English language represents an academic and social
challenge for students in the bachelor's degree program. In a similar survey study on students at Jazan
University, Hassan and Abdul Aziz (2012) find that most pharmacy students preferred Arabic as a
language of instruction. The study also emphasizes the difficulty of discovering the linguistic challenges
students face in understanding scientific concepts and the scientific language of the book. Onsman
(2012) points to the problem of the internationalization of English in academia, in the GCC countries in
general and in Saudi Arabia in particular, that results in the marginalization of the role of Arabic as a
language and a culture. Al Kahtany et al. (2016) believes that it is currently difficult to remove English
from its role as a medium of instruction in Saudi universities without enriching the linguistic potential of
the Arabic language to be able to assume this role. The study points to the need for the Arabization of
higher education.
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Previous studies that address the impact of using English instead of the mother tongue in higher
education institutions in different countries of the world and in the Gulf and Saudi Arabia in particular
have been reviewed. Various studies on the need for the Arabization of Saudi higher education have also
been surveyed. The findings of all these studies seem to unanimously call for an urgent need to
determine the views of students who are experiencing EMI. This study was conducted among the
students of the scientific faculties at King Khalid University, a large university in Abha, South of Saudi
Arabia, which ranks fourth among Saudi universities. The contribution of this study lies in its attempt to
determine exactly what happens in an EMI lecture, with a special focus on lecture comprehension,
performance during exams, in-class communication, study from textbooks and notes, and affective
impact this experience has on students.
5. Research Questions
This study attempts to answer this question: "How do King Khalid University students of scientific
faculties assess their experience of using English in teaching, learning, communication and testing?"
This major research question was divided into the following sub-questions:
1. To what extent does a lecture presented in English pose a challenge to content comprehension?
2. What is the impact of EMI on students‟ performance in assessment tasks?
3. Is communication between students and faculty members in the lecture hall and during office hours
hindered because of English?
4. How do students face the challenge of English books and references during their study and exams?
5. What impact does this mode of instruction have on students?
6. Is there any variation in students‟ responses due to the impact of the variables of English proficiency
level, major, gender, or level of study?
Responding to these research questions is likely to identify some of the challenges facing university
education in Saudi Arabia because of EMI and to highlight the need to seriously consider language
policies and planning that contribute to maintaining the status of the Arabic language and its role in
providing quality education and the use of English to facilitate access to global scientific production.
6. Methodology
Quantitative and qualitative research methodology was used in data collection and analysis. The
quantitative analysis was based on IBM SPSS Statistics 21 descriptive and inferential statistics. The
qualitative analysis was based on thematic analysis of the responses to the open question in which
respondents were asked to reflect on their experience with EMI.
6.1 Participants
The study sample consisted of (264) students from different study levels; 143 (54%) of them were
females and 121 (46%) were males. They were enrolled in the Faculties of Medicine, Engineering and
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Computer Sciences at King Khalid University during the data collection period. The distribution of
participants across disciplines is as follows: 148 (56%) students come from Computer Science, 68 (26%)
students come from the medical college, and 48 (18%) students belong to the Engineering College. The
participants were asked to self-rate their level of English proficiency, and the results were as follows:
26% thought they were weak, 43% thought they were good, 64% thought they were very good, and 18%
rated their English proficiency as excellent. Although self-assessment of English language proficiency is
not perfectly accurate, it may provide a rough idea about the general proficiency level.
6.2 Data Collection
With the help of Google Forms, an online survey was created and posted on the university learning
management system (Blackboard) after obtaining official permission from the e-learning deanship.
Frequent access of Blackboard by all students in the university is a requirement. The survey link stayed
on the website for a month. Three hundred and forty one students accessed the survey and answered the
questions. Seventy-seven students were excluded because they did not complete the entire questionnaire,
and some of students belonged to faculties other than medicine, engineering, and computer science.
The survey consisted of three sections. The first section elicited descriptive information from the sample
to identify participants‟ gender, scientific specialization, grade point average and year of study. The
second section consists of 33 statements that were meant to answer the five research questions. The last
section was an open question that required the respondents to provide any comments they have related to
their EMI experience. Participants‟ responses were elicited by using a four-point Likert scale where the
respondents choose one of these four responses: strongly agree, agree, disagree, and strongly disagree.
6.3 Statistical Analysis
The Likert scale was used to evaluate students' responses to the statements. The means were
characterized as follows: the range from 1 to 1.75 indicates respondents‟ strong disagreement; 1.76 to
2.5 indicates their disagreement; 2.6 to 3.25 means respondents agree; 3.26 to 4 is an indicator of
students‟ strong agreement with the statements. In other words, the cut-off point between agreement and
disagreement is 2.5. One-way ANOVA was used to determine if there were statistically significant
differences between the means of variables. To measure the reliability of the data collection tool, a
Guttman scale was used, and the coefficient was 0.734, which is an acceptable value for tool reliability.
To measure tool validity, inter-rater method was used and the results showed homogeneity of the ratings
done by judges who were experts in Applied Linguistics from two Saudi universities. The suggestions
made by them were used to enhance comprehensibility and distribution of statements across different
themes. Exploratory Factor Analysis was used to test the reduction of data to the five sets of variables
represented in the first five research questions. To achieve this goal, the data underwent Kaiser-Mayer-
Olkin test that measures how suited the data is for Factor Analysis, and the result was greater than 0.791,
indicating the adequacy of the grouping of survey items (Hair, Anderson et al. 1995a; Tabachnick and
Fidell 2001). Moreover, Bartlett‟s test of sphericity is statistically significant with the value of 0.000.
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Table 1: Explanatory factor Analysis
KMO and Bartlett's Test
Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling .791

Adequacy.
Bartlett's Test of Approx. Chi-Square 234.02

Sphericity 0
Df 10
Sig. .000
7. Results
The researcher used quantitative and qualitative research methodologies in data collection and analysis.
For the purpose of quantitative analysis of the survey, the researcher used an SPSS program for both
descriptive and inferential analysis. The qualitative analysis was based on the open question in which
respondents were asked to reflect on their experience with EMI in the university. This section presents
the statistical results and discussion of the six research questions as follows.
7.1 EMI and Content Comprehension
Three statements were used to answer the first research question from the students‟ perspective. The
statements and results are shown in the table below:
Table 2: EMI effect on scientific content comprehension
Statements SA A DA SDA Mean Mean% SD

Using English medium instruction is the main
reason behind the difficulty of scientific 54% 23% 18% 5% 3.33 83.25% .897
content comprehension.
Difficulty in comprehending scientific content
is mainly caused by the fact that text books are 58% 21% 13.5% 6.5% 3.39 84.75% .879
in English.
My linguistic proficiency is adequate for
comprehending scientific content in books and =% 6:% 7;% 6<% 2.13 97.69% .950
lectures.
As Table 1 shows, there is a problem with lecture and textbook comprehension faced by students with
science majors at King Khalid University. The main reason is that the language of lecture, books, and
notes is essentially English. Paradoxically, the students are not well-equipped linguistically to attend
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English science lectures and read English science books. The table shows that 83% of the students agree
with the statement that the study in English is a major reason for the difficulty in understanding the
scientific content. The table shows the mean of this statement is 3.33 which means that a large
proportion of the participants in this study strongly agree on the difficulty of studying due to the use of
the English language.
It is notable that the statistical analysis of the second statement is largely consistent with the first
statement because of the similarity of meaning despite the fact that their positions in the survey are
dispersed, which strengthens the validity of the tool and the validity of the analysis. The statement here
focused on the impact of English textbooks and notes in English on understanding scientific material
during study; 79% of the study sample (mean of 3.39) agree this is a real challenge. This indicates, once
again, that a majority of the participating students strongly agree with the difficulty of understanding the
scientific content of the English books and notes. This difficult educational atmosphere imposed on
students and their inability to function properly in it is confirmed by their responses to the third question
under the first theme that inquires about the English language proficiency of the students. The table
shows that 65% of the students believe their English language does not qualify them to understand the
scientific material presented in the lectures and the books, while only 35% see that their English
language proficiency qualifies them to understand EMI. This is confirmed by the mean of “2.13”,
indicating that majority of students do not consider their English language proficiency as sufficient to
help them understand the lectures and scientific content. This finding supports what Troudi (2009)
argues by claiming that studying through another language adds to the learner‟s cognitive burden and
makes mastery of content subjects more difficult and contingent upon the student‟s language skills.
7.2 Impact of Using English on Students’ Performance in Assessment Tasks
This study theme deals with the participants‟ evaluation of their performance in the tests. In Table 2
below, it is noticed that 72% of the students with a mean of 3.18 believe that the main reason for their
failure on tests and their low scores is that the tests are in English; 87% of them with a high mean score
(3.55) believe that if they had the opportunity to take their tests in the Arabic language, their
performance would be much better. The results shown in the third statement under this second research
question confirms a significant reason for students‟ failure is resulting from the language barrier, which
prevents their ability to arrange ideas logically while answering the test questions in writing. This
challenge is shared by 62.5% of the participants in the study as shown in the table below. According to
Marsh (2006) “failure to achieve satisfactory educational outcomes when teaching through English is
commonplace in certain countries. This failure is compounded by stakeholders seeing barriers to
learning in terms of language, as opposed to learning needs, cognition and methodologies .”
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Table 3: Impact of EMI on students‟ performance in different assessment tasks
Statements SA A DA SDA Mean Mean% SD
I usually do not do well in exams because questions

are in English which hinders my comprehension of 8=.;% 66.7%8<.<% =.6% 3.18 ;=.9% 1.01
questions and production of answers.
If given the chance to take exams in Arabic, I

::.7% 68.8% =.7% 7.7% 3.55 <<.;9% .782
would do pretty well.
I can present my ideas well and logically when I do 6;.9
81% 6;.9% 79% 2.15 97.;9% .959
my exams in English. %
7.3 EMI as a Barrier to Effective Communication between Students and Faculty Members during
Lectures and Office Hours
The third research question deals with a crucial issue at the heart of the instruction process, namely,
communication. It contains eleven statements that cover various aspects of student-teacher
communication. It explores how communication is poor in such an EMI context as demonstrated in the
following table:
Table 4: EMI effect on student-instructor communication inside and outside of class
Statements SA A DA SDA Mean Mean%SD
Using English as a medium of instruction and

communication in my department is a barrier to
44% 29.3% 20.1% 6.6% 3.19 ;=.;9% .894
communication between students and their
professors during office hours.
I hesitate to visit my professors at their offices

for scientific inquiries during office hours 39.5% 29.9% 21.9% 8.7% 3.08 ;;% .958
because of the English language barrier.
I can organize my thoughts and ideas

coherently when discussions are in English in 11.2% 12.4% 43.4% 33% 6.79 9<.;% .840
the lecture hall.
My weakness in English is the main reason for

not asking questions for clarification during the 50.9% 23.5% 17.6% 8% 7.61 <1% .954
lecture.
I take notes in English during the lecture. 7.9% 32.6% 31.1% 28.4% 6.89 97.;9% .963
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I take notes during the lecture. 28.4% 53.1% 14.3% 4.2% 7.11 ;9% .798
My role in the lecture presented in English is a

37.2% 38.1% 17.9% 6.8% 3.09 ;;.69% .878
passive listener and I do not participate.
Instructors organize pair discussion and group

discussion activities among students during the
15.6% 8.1% 39.5% 36.8% 1.93 8<.69% .936
lecture that can help in enhancing content
comprehension.
I can say that I am active during the lectures

23.1% 5.4% 39.3% 32.1% 8.=< 8=.9% .881
presented in English.
Because of my weakness in English, I hesitate

to ask the lecturer a question to clarify a point I 45% 27.2% 19.9% 7.9% 7.88 ;<.9% .924
did not understand.
The statistical table above clearly diagnoses the challenges and accurately describes the reality of
communication problems university students face inside and outside an EMI classroom. The overall
trend of the responses, as demonstrated in terms of means and percentages, shows that the English
language is a barrier to communication between students and their teachers both inside and outside of
lecture rooms. During lectures, statistics shows that only 40.5% of the participating students take notes
in English, and most of them cannot organize their ideas and thoughts coherently during any discussion
in English (76.4%). The majority of them (72.2%) hesitate to ask questions because of the English
language barrier. Only 23.7% of the students agree that teachers organize collaborative learning
activities during lectures. The outcome of this poor communication is passive and inactive students
(71.4%) whose role is mere passive listening (75%). Similarly, outside the lecture hall, almost all (70%)
of them are reluctant and embarrassed to visit their teachers during office hours because of the language
barrier. The same note is made by Macro (2015) and Ryhan (2014) in their studies on the role and
impact of EMI in higher education from both students‟ and instructors‟ perspectives.
7.4 Strategies of Coping with the Challenges of English Textbooks and References during
Students’ Study and Exams
This research theme answers the fourth research question and attempts to identify the strategies used by
students in scientific disciplines to cope with the challenge of English, which is the language of
textbooks, references, readings, notes, assignments, activities, and exams. The following table presents
the results of participants‟ responses to two statements aimed to confirm or reject a common belief
within the study context that students depend mainly on translations and summarized notes.
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Table 5: Impact of EMI on material content and study habits
Statement SA A DA SDA Mean Mean% SD
I depend on note summaries

and translated notes more than ;=.;9
8<.9% 69.=% 8=.7% :.7% 3.19 .948
on the textbook because of my %
low proficiency in English.
I spend most of my study time

<8.;9
at home doing the translation 98.=% 6:.=% 87.8% 9.8% 3.39 .827
%
from English into Arabic.
As the table shows, 74.4% of the participants in this study (mean=3.19) rely on summarized and
translated notes rather than on the textbooks, due to the English language barrier. In addition to that, the
amount of time spent by students in translating lectures from English to Arabic is too much, as the
statistics in the table show that nearly 82% of them (mean=3.39) spend most of the time doing
translation work.
7.5 Impact of EMI on Students’ Attitude towards Learning
It is clear from the table on attitudes towards the use of EMI in the teaching of scientific disciplines that
this type of education is not welcome among university students in this study. The evidence is that 89%
(mean=3.57) of the students participating in the study believe that the transition from AMI in schools to
EMI at university seems to cause psychological problems among students, such as anxiety, frustration,
tension and fear. In the next statement, 65% of respondents feel that the study of their major in English
inevitably leads to weak educational outcomes, i.e., graduates who are academically weak in their
specialization. These attitudes of the students in the classroom in specific educational situations are
confirmed by the third, fourth, fifth and sixth statements in the table below. Responses show that 64% of
the participants feel embarrassed in front of their classmates if asked to answer a question during the
lecture in English, 75% of them do not enjoy written assignments in English, 68% do not enjoy
discussions in English during the lecture. In contrast, 79% of the participants do not hesitate to answer
questions in Arabic in the lecture. These results are summarized in the following table.
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Table 6: The affective impact of EMI on students‟ attitude towards learning
Statement SA A DA SDA Mean Mean% SD
The shift of medium of instruction from Arabic at .752

school to English at university causes feeling of %:8.7 %69 %:.9 %8.6 3.57 %<=.69
anxiety, frustration, tension, and fear.
I believe EMI results in weak learning outcomes. %79.6 %71.8 %69.8 %=.: 2.96 %;8 .982
I feel embarrassed in class if asked to answer a

%79.8 %6<.9 %67.8 %86.= 2.95 %;7.;9 1.027
question in English.
I feel comfortable when I am asked to do written

8.7% 61.<% 7<.<% 7:.8% 1.91 8;.;9% .827
assignments in English.
I enjoy participation in discussion when it is in

<.7% 67.8% 79.:% 76.:% 2.02 91.9% .941
English.
I feel embarrassed in class if asked to answer a

<.;% 86.9% 79.6% 87.:% 1.82 89.9% .911
question in Arabic.
7.6 Variation in Students’ Responses due to the Impact of the Variables of English Proficiency,
Subject, Gender, or Level of Study
This section will discuss the analysis of variance in participants‟ responses to the five research questions
and whether their responses are affected by their proficiency in English, their majors, their study level,
and their gender.
7.6.1 The Variable of English Proficiency
The analysis of variance shown in the table indicates that there is statistically significant variation
between respondents with regard to the five themes of the research questions, and the significance of this
variance is high with a “P” value of 0.00. This variation is attributed to students‟ low proficiency in
English.
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Table 7: Analysis of variance across different research-dependent variables attributed to the independent
variable of participants‟ proficiency in English
Sum of df Mean F Sig.

Squares Square
Between
EMI impact on content 2.081 3 .694 6.593 .000
Groups
comprehension by students
Within Groups 25.992 247 .105
Between
EMI impact on students‟ 7.705 3 2.568 14.242 .000
Groups
assessment and testing
Between
EMI impact on students‟ 1.288 3 .429 5.544 .001
Groups
psyche
Between
EMI impact on 3.482 3 1.161 16.490 .000
Groups
communication between
students and instructors Within Groups 17.034 242 .070
Between
EMI impact on students‟ study Groups 53.104 3 17.701 45.835 .000
habits
7.6.2 The Variables of Study Major, Gender, and Study Levels
The analysis showed no significant difference between participants‟ responses which can be attributed to
their major. This finding indicates that students in different subjects face the same challenges with EMI.
For the gender variable, it was similarly found that there is no significant difference between students
attributed to gender which means that both male and female students face the same difficulties as a result
of English medium instruction in science majors. The statistics also show that the students‟ attitude
towards employing English as the medium of instruction at university and its academic and affective
impact is the same regardless of their study levels. In other words, all students in different levels
consider English to be a challenge that poses a threat to their comprehension, performance in
assessments, communication, and proper study habits.
13 IJSSES
7.7 Results of the Open-Ended Question
The survey that was administered to the King Khalid University students contained one open-ended
question with the purposes of giving them a chance to write whatever comment they have about their
experience with EMI. Out of the 264 respondents, 95 of them wrote comments.
Their comments support what has been discussed in the quantitative analysis, which supports the validity
of the current research. Many respondents wish they are taught in Arabic, and they connected being
taught in their mother tongue with better comprehension and better learning outcomes. The other
important issue raised by some students was the problem of intelligibility of some instructors who
belong to certain nationalities and have a heavy mother tongue accent that can cause comprehension
problems when they use English for teaching. In addition, there are instructors who can be excellent in
their discipline, but their English does not help them convey the knowledge they have intelligibly.
Pedagogical skills of some instructors are poor, which results in poor class management and
overdependence on lecturing. The inadequacy of the English foundation year (Williams, 2015) is one of
the concerns of the participants in this study. They complain about the inadequacy of the English
education they receive in the preparatory year. The quality of English education they are subjected to in
schools was also considered by the participants as a major concern with consequences experienced in
their tertiary education. As a result of all these challenges, students take recourse to rote learning.
Kirkpatrick (2017) summarizes the consequences of EMI by saying that “Teaching remains teacher-
centered and, students „learn‟ by rote without developing any understanding of what they are
memorizing.” Many comments made by the participants call for dual language education where both
English and Arabic play the role of media of instruction in a complementary manner.
8. Discussion and Conclusion
The present study attempted to answer six research questions through the statistical analysis of
participants‟ answers. The major findings are discussed below.
1. Using the English language to teach scientific disciplines has a seriously negative impact on 78%
of the students in the present study. The English language, which they learn through an intensive
program, does not qualify them to act effectively in an environment in which English is the
medium of teaching scientific content.
2. Over 70% of the participants in the study attribute the main reason for their failure in assessment
tasks to the fact that the language of testing is English and, therefore, they cannot do well. The
form and content of their performance are not satisfactory. Indeed, 87% of them believe that if
they were tested in the Arabic medium, they would do better.
3. The impact of using the English language as the medium of instruction and assessment is not
limited to affecting the comprehension of scientific content and performance in the tests but also to
the psychological impact EMI incurs on the vast majority of students (See table 5 above), such as
anxiety, frustration, tension, fear and embarrassment and, ultimately, poor educational outcomes.
4. It is known that the success of the educational process is essentially based on successful
communication, interaction, and discussion, and, according to modern learning theories, the
learner is the focus of the educational process. Despite all this, we find that the use of EMI in
scientific disciplines without adequate preparation makes it difficult to yield fruitful results. Such a
14 IJSSES
situation goes against the fundamental principles of optimal educational environment and deprives
the students of their basic rights in understanding, communication, interaction, discussion and
inquiry. These rights are consequently evicted because of students‟ weakness in the English
language. The quality of program outputs in this unhealthy environment (See table 3) is poor, and
this concern has been frequently voiced by the Saudi Shura council on more than one occasion
(Albulwi, 2016). In addition, this educational mode takes us decades back to the educational
environment in which the teacher dominated the educational situation. A limited number of
students who are fluent in English language may participate in this type of domination. More than
two-thirds of the students in this study (Table 3) are denied their right to effective presence in the
educational environment due to their weak proficiency in English.
5. This problematic educational environment is aggravated when we find that students learn very
little about science because of their reliance on translated notes and superficial summarized
contents. Indeed, this generation‟s time is wasted on translation, which is often inaccurate. How do
you expect those who are weak in English to produce accurate translations of terms and content
which may sometimes be a challenge to professional translators? Had the students received the
scientific material in their native language, it would have been easier for them to grasp the
meanings and to better utilize their time.
To conclude, the results of this study are consistent with previous studies in the literature on EMI in
different settings in terms of challenges and problems incurred by this university instruction mode,
including limited participation and comprehension on the part of students, surface learning, rote learning
of content, low achievement in exams and limited acquisition and mastery of disciplinary knowledge
(Arkin, 2013). Moreover, the challenge in the Arab context is perhaps stronger because of the low
English proficiency in most Arab countries. According to the EF English Proficiency Index in its 8th
edition in 2018, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ranks 83 among 88 surveyed countries which is
characterized as a “very low” category. This ranking entails that persisting with university education in
an English-only medium is a real threat to the quality of education in Saudi Arabia and similar countries.
Therefore, bilingual education remains an option that can effectively contribute to address the EMI
dilemma.
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International Journal of Social Sciences & Educational Studies

Challenges of Using EMI in Teaching and Learning of University Scientific

Disciplines: Student Voice

3. Aims and Significance of the Study

2. What is the impact of EMI on students‟ performance in assessment tasks?

5. What impact does this mode of instruction have on students?

6.2 Data Collection

6.3 Statistical Analysis

Table 1: Explanatory factor Analysis

KMO and Bartlett's Test

Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling .791

Bartlett's Test of Approx. Chi-Square 234.02

7.1 EMI and Content Comprehension

Table 2: EMI effect on scientific content comprehension

Statements SA A DA SDA Mean Mean% SD

7.2 Impact of Using English on Students’ Performance in Assessment Tasks

Table 3: Impact of EMI on students‟ performance in different assessment tasks

Statements SA A DA SDA Mean Mean% SD

I usually do not do well in exams because questions

If given the chance to take exams in Arabic, I

Table 4: EMI effect on student-instructor communication inside and outside of class

Statements SA A DA SDA Mean Mean%SD

Using English as a medium of instruction and

I hesitate to visit my professors at their offices

I can organize my thoughts and ideas

My weakness in English is the main reason for

My role in the lecture presented in English is a

Instructors organize pair discussion and group

I can say that I am active during the lectures

Because of my weakness in English, I hesitate

Table 5: Impact of EMI on material content and study habits

Statement SA A DA SDA Mean Mean% SD

I depend on note summaries

I spend most of my study time

7.5 Impact of EMI on Students’ Attitude towards Learning

Table 6: The affective impact of EMI on students‟ attitude towards learning

Statement SA A DA SDA Mean Mean% SD

The shift of medium of instruction from Arabic at .752

I feel embarrassed in class if asked to answer a

I feel comfortable when I am asked to do written

I enjoy participation in discussion when it is in

I feel embarrassed in class if asked to answer a

7.6.1 The Variable of English Proficiency

Sum of df Mean F Sig.

7.6.2 The Variables of Study Major, Gender, and Study Levels

7.7 Results of the Open-Ended Question

8. Discussion and Conclusion

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