­Parents’ Perspectives towards Implementing English-Medium Instruction at Tertiary Education in Oman

Abstract

This study investigates parents’ perspectives towards using English as a medium of instruction (EMI). Hundred and seventeen (117) parents who had children studying at higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Sultanate of Oman answered a questionnaire featuring 40 items with a 5-point Likert-scale response key. Findings indicate that, while many parents displayed favorable attitudes towards implementing EMI in HEIs, approximately half of them asserted that their children’s English is not good enough to cope with EMI. Therefore, most of them believed that some courses at least should follow Arabic medium instruction. The study explores the advantages and disadvantages of EMI, and findings reveal that the majority of the respondents identify more advantages. It was also found out that the respondents assisted their children in several ways to cope with EMI. For instance, by financing their children to learn English in private institutions, encouraging children to translate their course materials into the Arabic language, and seeking the support of parents’ friends to explain doubts and what children have not understood in the classroom.