Challenges in Incorporating English as the Medium of Instruction at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences

Abstract

In contexts where English is not a mother tongue, several institutions implement English as the medium of instruction. This paper argues that Saudi students pursuing tertiary education in scientific disciplines like health sciences must study in English-medium settings where they encounter several academic challenges related to the English language. Pre-university education for Saudi students is conducted in Arabic, which may have resulted in a jarring transition when they were expected to be instructed in English at the university. This abrupt change in the instruction medium challenges students’ English language proficiency. This paper aims to answer this question “What do perspectives students and instructors at KSAU-HS have regarding the challenges of implementing EMI in CAMS-A? ” It may also question the institution’s language policy and the quality of its educational outcomes. By using data from semi-structured interviews and classroom observations, the findings of this paper attempt to comprehend challenges such as 1) pre-university English language preparations, 2) misaligned expectations between content instructors and English instructors regarding improving students’ English language, 3) time and effort in preparing and delivering lectures using EMI, and 4) impeding students’ comprehension of content knowledge and driving them to rote memorization. This paper discusses these obstacles to provide potential explanations and solutions by calling into question the monolingual bias of EMI programs in Saudi Arabia.