Attitudes of academics and students towards English-medium instruction in Engineering Studies

Agricultural Engineering Students’ Segmentation in Relation to Their Attitudes towards English-Medium Instruction

“…These percentages indicate that, despite the high school grades reported, a considerable percentage of students either did not feel adequately prepared for taking a B1 English exam or did not feel the need to do it despite the University of Extremadura requirement for it (it could be replaced with an internal course granting the students had the B1 competencies or passing three courses entirely taught in English). These data compare unfavorably with another study also in a Spanish engineering school, where 48% of the students declared to have at least a self-assessed B2 level and 86% at least a B1 (although it was concluded that the declared level was rather optimistic since half of them thought they did not meet the English level required for EMI courses and only 39% thought they had the competences required to understand a lesson in English) [15]. The general low English level might be explained by the basic requirement for English communication skills from the local industry, mainly composed of small companies with little orientation towards exports.…”

“…As for the response of the students towards the EMI teaching, some information is needed to implement programs that meet their expectations. In this respect, several studies have researched the attitudes of higher education students towards EMI programs [5,14,15], revealing that most students expected a positive impact on their careers [6,14,15]. However, this open attitude towards English is often paired with the expectation of a detrimental effect on knowledge acquisition and grades [6,15].…”

“…In this respect, several studies have researched the attitudes of higher education students towards EMI programs [5,14,15], revealing that most students expected a positive impact on their careers [6,14,15]. However, this open attitude towards English is often paired with the expectation of a detrimental effect on knowledge acquisition and grades [6,15]. Even so, some students without the language requirement are willing to enroll in EMI courses, disregarding the negative consequences after weighing up the benefits for future career opportunities [15].…”

“…However, this open attitude towards English is often paired with the expectation of a detrimental effect on knowledge acquisition and grades [6,15]. Even so, some students without the language requirement are willing to enroll in EMI courses, disregarding the negative consequences after weighing up the benefits for future career opportunities [15]. This suggests that students with considerable differences in their language competences and expectations might be enrolled in EMI courses, causing disruptions and poor EMI implementation, and reveals the importance of investigating common trends in the students to adjust the actions and offers according to those trends.…”

Engineering students’ challenges and coping strategies in English-medium instruction: a Q methodology study

“…Writing is regarded as an essential skill in universities, and students in EMI programs often nd it particularly challenging. Mira et al (2021) reported that students' writing pro ciency is comparatively weaker than their reading skills and other language abilities. Despite approximately half of the surveyed students believing they meet the required level of English language competence for EMI, only 34% considered their writing skills to be advanced.…”