Language Barriers met by English Preparatory School Students

Internationalization of higher education in various parts of the world boosted student mobility. Currently, international students travel across the globe to study in the universities where the medium of instruction is in English. In North Cyprus, at the Eastern Mediterranean University, the medium of instruction is in English but the official language of the country is Turkish. In this context, international students are faced with communication barrier in general and language barrier in particular. The present study seeks to explore the difficulties met by international students studying English at the English Preparatory School of Eastern Mediterranean University located in North Cyprus. As the first study in North Cyprus to concentrate on the learning of English in an EFL context, the study attempts to answer three main research questions: (i) what are the language barriers non-native English students who are learning English as a foreign language at EMU face when learning English?; (ii) what are the EFL students’ who study English abroad attitudes toward socializing in English?; and (iii) what are the EFL students’ perceptions of studying language at an English-medium university? Quantitative methodology has been preferred in the present study. An in-house questionnaire comprising thirty-two questions (five questions on demographic information and twenty-seven 5-point Likert-type questions) has been prepared and implemented to 300 students. The findings of the study showed that majority of the students believe in the benefits of studying at an English-medium university as it fulfils the gap of the lack of practice outside the classroom. In other words, students report that their English language skills, both written and oral, improved as they can practice the language due to the English-medium instruction and multicultural student profile in spite of being in an EFL context. Another significant finding is that students prefer to socialize with friends from both their native language and international friends. However, despite these positive attitudes and perceptions, students still experience anxiety as a barrier when they communicate with international friends or international teachers in English.