Student Learning Online in a Second Language

During the Covid-19 pandemic, many courses were forced to shift from holding physical, in-person meetings to conducting classes online via distance. For students whose courses were being taught via English as a medium of instruction (EMI), this shift to online teaching and learning added another potential barrier to their educational experience. Not only were they learning content through a second or additional language, but they were doing so in a new and likely unfamiliar setting: Zoom or a similar interface. With teachers and students needing to grapple with this additional technological layer, the present study investigated EMI student experiences with a focus on similarities and differences between in-person and digital contexts. Semi-structured interviews with 12 university students were held in order to provide space for them to articulate their views on the various aspects that the combination of EMI and distance learning involved. Sections of the interview probed students’ perceptions of English skill levels (e.g., speaking, listening, etc.) in EMI and and student experiences in both in-person and distance EMI contexts.