English-medium Instruction in Higher Education: A Case Study in a Turkish University Context

ABSTRACT: This study investigated, through an exploratory case study, the impact of Englishmedium instruction on disciplinary learning in Turkish university context, with specific reference to North Cyprus. A survey given out to undergraduate university students studying at an English-medium university showed that while Englishmedium instruction (EMI) is perceived as necessary for professional and academic career prospects, the process of disciplinary learning is perceived to be negatively affected due to limited language skills of students. The study then decided to further investigate the issue in more depth and conducted two case studies which included videotaped classroom observations and follow up interviews with participating students using stimulated recall, and administration of parallel tests in English and Turkish. The results of the first case study revealed despite the efforts of the content instructor such as reduced speech rate and higher use of content redundancy, the students still had problems following the lecture and comprehending the content. The findings gathered from the second case study revealed a significant disadvantage when the students answered a parallel set of questions in English. Based on the findings, the study proposes both practical and theoretical implications, with the latter calling for a shift from English-medium instruction to content and language integrated learning (CLIL). Keywords: English-medium Instruction (EMI), Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), disciplinary learning in higher education, lecture analysis, in-depth Interviews. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………