Higher Education Students’ Experience in the Use of English Language as Medium of Instruction First and Second Generation Ethiopian Universities in Focus

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the challenges students experience while learning the English
language as a medium of instruction (EMOI). Randomly selected first and second-generation universities
were used as the settings. Regular program students, enrolled in the 2018/19 academic year, were used as the
target population. Six hundred students were selected using a stratified random sampling technique.
Questionnaires and classroom observations were the instruments of the study. Descriptive analysis were used
for statistical purpose. As the result shows, majorities of students chose English and Amharic to be the media
of instruction. Students experienced difficulties in four categories: Student-related, instructor-related,
language-related, and resource-related problems. Especially, transferring ideas from the native language into
the English language was one of the main problems the student experienced in using English as a medium of
instruction. The student-instructor interaction in the English language was full of tenses. Besides, some of the
instructors could not communicate with their students in good English. The study showed that the English
language is a great challenge to be used as a medium of instruction (EMOI). Students used some effective
strategies to cope with the challenges of using EMOI: Using Amharic in group or pair works, using their
mother tongue for negotiating meanings, asking for help from the teacher, and giving attention to the subject
matter. Finally, the researcher suggested instructors must meet at least two requirements: English language
proficiency and subject