STUDENTS’ CHALLENGES IN ENGLISH-MEDIUMINSTRUCTION PROGRAMS AT A REGIONAL UNIVERSITY

Abstract

 This study investigates the challenges students face in English-medium instruction
(EMI) programs at a regional university in Vietnam. Data was collected through focus groups
with 24 students across three EMI programs. It was found that most students experienced
difficulties in lecture comprehension, mainly due to their limited English proficiency and
insufficient prior exposure to English listening and speaking skills. In addition, they found it
difficult to deal with the overwhelming technical vocabulary of the subjects. Besides, both
high- and low-proficiency students had motivational challenges. The former group lacked
motivation due to the slow pace and lecturers’ frequent use of Vietnamese in mixed-level
classes, and the latter due to their limited language ability and lecture comprehension. The
findings underscore the need for more tailored approaches to address students’ diverse
linguistic and motivational needs in EMI program implementation.