English as the Medium of Instruction: Exploring Comprehension and Writing Challenges Students Face at University Level

Abstract

The use of English as the Medium of Instruction is growing in academia, from school level to university level. As the trend is growing, a plethora of challenges are emerging, impacting both teachers and students. EMI in Pakistan is one of the most under-researched areas. This article explores the challenges students face in terms of comprehension of content and writing at a local university in Sindh. This research was conducted with 129 undergraduate students randomly selected using a quantitative survey through a closed-ended 9-question, 4 about comprehension and 5 about writing, on a 5-point Likert scale. The results were presented in the tables in numerical form. The findings reveal that students mainly struggle with understanding vocabulary and jargon. Moreover, they also struggle with grammatical accuracy, expressing ideas, finding the right words, and using punctuation while writing. On the basis of these findings’ researchers presented some recommendations for future researchers and scholars.