Deciphering Students and Teachers' Perceptions Towards English as a Medium of Instruction: A Case Study of Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University

Abstract

Medium of instruction has been shifting towards English, thereby producing English as a medium of instruction (EMI) in Saudi higher education due to internationalization, globalization, economic and technological advancement. Saudi universities have been adopting EMI to address the needs of the day and the demands by the stakeholders and students. This study explores the perceptions of Saudi university students and teachers about the use of EMI in the Saudi higher education. The participants are 80 students and 20 university teachers affiliated to Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A five-point Likert-scale questionnaire was used to collect data. The findings show that both teachers and students hold positive perceptions about the use of EMI in Saudi universities. The findings suggest that teachers hold stronger positive attitudes towards the use of EMI. Students demonstrate a positive attitudinal behavior when teachers switch to Arabic while teaching. Findings further show that the use of EMI may hamper the native language and culture as perceived by the students. A number of implications have been suggested as students may feel hesitant to speak in English due to their low English proficiency.