Students’ academic language-related challenges in English Medium Instruction: The role of English proficiency and language gain

• Published in: System (Linköping) Vol. 103; p. 102651
• Main Authors: Soruç, Adem, Altay, Mehmet, Curle, Samantha, Yuksel, Dogan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2021; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Academic language; Challenges; College students; Discipline-based differences; English as a second language learning; English for academic purposes; English language; English language proficiency; English medium instruction (EMI); English proficiency; Higher education (HE); International relations; Language gain; Language proficiency; Students; Language gain; Higher education (HE); English medium instruction (EMI); Challenges; English language proficiency; Discipline-based differences
• ISSN: 0346-251X; 1879-3282
• DOI: 10.1016/j.system.2021.102651

This article reports a quantitative empirical study that explored the relationship between English language proficiency and academic language-related challenges experienced by students when studying through English Medium Instruction (EMI). Questionnaire data using the EMI Challenges Scale and student English language test score data were collected at a public university in Turkey. Two academic subjects were compared: International Relations (a Social Science subject, n = 99) and Electronic Engineering (a Mathematics, Physical and Life Sciences subject, n = 99). Results revealed that in both subjects, English language proficiency statistically significantly predicted academic language-related challenges. Furthermore, a gain in English proficiency significantly predicted the challenges in International Relations but not in Electronic Engineering. Finally, Electronic Engineering students experienced significantly different levels of linguistic-related challenges in each language skill when at a lower proficiency (A2) compared to a higher proficiency (B2). In International Relations, a proficiency threshold was more evident; students experienced significantly higher levels of linguistic-related challenges as proficiency decreased. Important pedagogical implications of this established relationship between language proficiency, language gain, and language-related challenges in two academic divisions are discussed. •English language proficiency predicts EMI students' academic language related challenges.•The higher English language proficiency, the lower academic language-related challenges regardless of academic subject.•Language proficiency threshold varies according to the academic division.•There is an apparent proficiency threshold for International Relations students – B2 level of English proficiency.