The Implementation of English Medium Instruction (EMI) for Economics Students in Bilingual Class: Challenges and Solutions

Abstract

Several studies have argued that learning a foreign language has the potential to increase the general cognitive ability of students who are from non-English departments. There is a tendency that in a bilingual program, these students obtained better achievements than those in monolingual programs. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of bilingual teaching of Economics students using English to teach content subjects. We would like to propose a model in which English Medium Instruction (EMI) implementation can be achieved by adopting it in the Faculty of Economics. The model examines the driving forces behind the implementation of EMI and analyses the implications and consequences of such instruction for Economics students. The result of this study revealed that the problems faced by Economics students in using English were related to speaking and writing skills. Employing social and academic language functions are found crucial for them who will become teachers of Economics after finishing their study. Finally, it is suggested that in order to implement the innovative EMI in teaching Economics, mixed-mode teaching in the classroom could be formed for subjects across the curriculum.