Korean Professor and Student Perceptions of the Efficacy of English-Medium Instruction

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy and problems of current EMI classes and to find an alternative model for them. The research was based on surveys in the form of questionnaires and interviews targeting 24 professors and 169 students from universities in the Seoul area. Three questions were posed for the study: (1) Can the efficacy of EMI classes change depending on different levels of English and subjects? (2) What are student preferences and professor views regarding EMI classes and what needs to be improved? (3) What are the successful features of EMI classes? Students and professors agreed on the necessity of EMI classes, but pointed out that improvements were needed for better efficacy. 60% of students in the beginner level classes and 24.6% of students in the intermediate level classes understood less than 70% of the course content. Thus, the majority of the students and professors preferred to have some portion of L1 as an expedient to help students understand complicated content. Most students in all levels opposed to have CBI classes because understanding their major subjects was the priority rather than English skills. Current EMI classes seemed to reduce efficacy since they might help students improve communication ability but interfere with their academic depth.