Abstract
Achieving science undergraduate programs learning outcomes relies on the students’ proficiency in the language of instruction, a challenge that many policymakers ignore. This study is to understand the influence of English as a medium of instruction (EMI) policy in four undergraduate science programs, namely, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics, in Saudi Arabia. The data were collected from the following groups of participants: 1461 science alumni records, 769 current undergraduate science students’ surveys, and 111 science university instructors’ surveys. The results of alumni records indicated that grades of the intensive English program in the first year predict the alumni cumulative grade point average (GPA) once they finish their four-year program. The results demonstrated that the higher is the alumni’s English proficiency, the better is their cumulative GPA. The results of the current science students’ questionnaire showed their preferred language of instruction could be predicted by their attitudes and society’s attitudes. Most of these students preferred to learn sciences in their native language (Arabic), which contradicted the policy of the current program. The instructors’ questionnaire results showed that instructors held divergent perspectives on the usage of EMI and students’ native language in the undergraduate science programs. To conclude, educationists and programs policymakers need to locate more attention and interventions toward the language of instruction. It is also recommended that universities provide science students with more English courses. Science students should also have English for science purposes courses to familiarize them with the science terms and prepare them to read science materials.
Highlights
As the language of science and technology (Crystal, 2003), English has been chosen by non-English speaking countries to be used in the teaching of science subjects at different educational levels
While difficulties associated with undertaking higher education in a second language is certainly substantial, it should be acknowledged that the relationship between first language proficiency and academic success is not a straightforward one, as all students grapple with academic literacy, and access is not distributed among all speakers of a language
It is unwarranted and unhelpful for instructors to assume that learners are fluent in the language of instruction because apart from second-language speakers, the challenges of academic literacy affect those of lower socioeconomic status, mature aged students, and the first in the family generation
Summary
As the language of science and technology (Crystal, 2003), English has been chosen by non-English speaking countries to be used in the teaching of science subjects at different educational levels. In the era of globalization and internationalization, scientists need to communicate in English given that most of the online science resources and publications are in English. Universities in Arab countries and around the globe have implemented a policy of English as a medium of instruction (EMI) in science university programs. Policymakers and curriculum designers believe that EMI would benefit students more than the policy of Arabic as a medium of instruction (AMI). The relationship between the language of instruction policy and stakeholders’ frequent attitudinal beliefs might result in drastic learning outcomes that do not lead to the purposes of the specified program
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