The Students’ Perceptions of Arabic and English as a Medium of Instruction in Jordan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1207.26Keywords:
Arabic, awareness, difficulty, English, EMIAbstract
This research paper investigates students’ perceptions of whether English or the indigenous language (Arabic) should be used as a medium of instruction in English learning centers at the pre-intermediate level. This argument which is of both sides (Arabic or English should be used as a medium of instruction) has been investigated through students’ responses. While there has been a great deal of research into students’ perception of EMI in education, this study offers deeper explanations, from a psychological perspective, of why students prefer EMI despite the difficulty, which would negatively affect their attitudes toward English. In this study, the researcher employed a questionnaire survey to elicit some data from the participants studying in the EFL centers to present substantial evidence, represented by this study’s findings, consulted, and supported by psychology-based explanations. Among the main findings is that although the participants of this study hold positive attitudes toward their native language (Arabic), they prefer to use English to Arabic as a medium of instruction. This study also found that awareness associated with business plays a key role in this preference.
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