TO INVESTIGATE THE BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF ENGLISH-MEDIUM INSTRUCTION (EMI) IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN TAIWAN

Abstract

English has become prevalent in all settings due to the growth of international trading, entertainment, and leisure activities. As a result, higher education has become more globalized, and using English as a medium of instruction (EMI) is a new trend worldwide. This study is conducted to investigate the benefits and challenges that university students experience in an EMI context.  Building on the theoretical and conceptual base, the research centered on the following questions: 1. What factors could potentially impact a student’s academic performance in the EMI context? 2: What do students believe are the advantages of EMI instruction? 3: What challenges do students face when it comes to EMI instruction? The study involved 86 participants from a private university in southern Taiwan, with 35 students from the Department of Applied College of Language Arts and 51 from the Department of Entertainments and Managements of International College. The study found that English listening skills are crucial for students to comprehend EMI lessons and identified several benefits and drawbacks of EMI instruction.