LANGUAGE AS A MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION: EXPLORING ITS EFFECT ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN PAKISTANI UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

This research aims at determining the effects of Language as Media of Instruction on academic performance in the universities of Pakistan. As the medium of instruction is English this study examines the effect of the language on the learners’ academic achievement in courses which require extensive language usage. A quantitative study and twenty qualitative respondents; ten each from public and private universities; were also fives selected. Based on the emerging evidence, language is found to play a role in the student achievement where EMI poses a challenge to the foreign language learning students. Motivation and instructional support of the students partly mediate this relation. Since language support programmes, training of the faculty, and learners’ motivation during instructional processes have been acknowledged to facilitate academic success and linguistic diversity in the Pakistani university, this study is pertinent. This should interest educational policymakers, faculty members, and the students since it presents useful information from the results of the study. It should suggest that the support of language should be given in parallel with the support of faculty for dispensing linguistic sensitization. The Faculty members should know about the language problem faced by the students, and should help the students to overcome that barrier. Students should try to understand and ask whenever they are faced with any question.

Keywords: Learning languages, the academic achievements, the EMI, language skills, attitudes, language support, Pakistani universities, higher learning and language policy and language variations.