English As A Medium Of Instruction (emi): Non-english Major Scientific Teachers’ Expectancy & Requirement Vs. Language Learning Challenges
Keywords:
English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI), language learning challenges, non-English major scientific teachers, teaching EnglishAbstract
Algeria has recently embraced the use of English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) for scientific subjects in higher education; a policy that has been already adopted by many non-English speaking universities. This decision, however, seems to raise the concerns of the Algerian scientific community. Equally, this abrupt change puts strains on many stakeholders involved, including both English teachers and scientific subject-matter instructors. In light of this issue, this work explores the complex task of teaching English to scientific university teachers and investigates the difficulties that scientific subject-matter instructors face in learning English language, taking the Ecole Nationale Polytechnique de Constantine (ENPC) as a case in point. This study reports on a one-year experience of teaching English to scientific teachers at the ENPC during the academic year 2022-2023. In this research, a mixed-methods approach was employed. Data were collected through diagnostic tests, unstructured classroom observations, and focus group discussions. The findings show that the reality of teaching English to scientific instructors falls far short of expectations. Many challenges were found to hinder the success of this process, including selecting appropriate content and adopting suitable methods for heterogeneous groups in terms of English proficiency level, discipline, availability, professional background, and age. Another major issue is the reluctance of subject teachers to attend/participate in the English course due to the demands of their pedagogical, research-related, and administrative responsibilities, besides their limited language learning capacity. In short, the current situation calls for a scrutiny of the task at hand and an elaborate plan that responds to the reality of higher education in the Algerian context.
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