English-medium instruction in Vietnam: Benefits and drawbacks from students’ perspectives

English-medium instruction in Vietnam: Benefits and drawbacks from students’ perspectives

Le Thi Tuyet Hanh* hanhfran@gmail.com Foreign Language Department Vinh University
Nguyen Thanh Bac nthbac1904@gmail.com Foreign Language Department, Vinh University
Summary: 
English-medium instruction (EMI) has been considered a key strategy in internationalizing the education system in many countries. Its popularity has brought both benefits and drawbacks to the learners. This study was aimed at investigating the positive and negative effects of EMI programs at a university in North Central Vietnam from students’ perspectives. The study involved 137 participants, who were studying in an English as medium instruction program in a university in Vietnam. An explanatory mixed-methods approach was used in data collection through a questionnaire and follow-up interviews. From the data analysis, it was found that EMI courses benefited their learners in terms of job opportunities, English language proficiency, and social skills. However, the results also indicated that EMI students faced many difficulties relating to teaching and learning methodology and psychological issues during their learning process. Different pedagogical implications are put forward to improve the quality of EMI programs in the Vietnamese context.
Keywords: 
EMI program; difficulties; benefits; Vietnamese context; EMI students; student perspectives.
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