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English-Medium Instruction in Higher Education in the United Arab Emirates: the Perspectives of Students

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English-Medium Instruction in Higher Education in the United Arab Emirates: the Perspectives of Students English-Medium Instruction in Higher Education in the United Arab Emirates: The Perspectives of Students Submitted by Anthony Jonathan Solloway to The University of Exeter for the degree of Doctor of Education in TESOL Submission date November, 2016 This thesis is available for library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgment. I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified as such and that no material has previously been submitted and/or approved for the award of a degree by this or any other university. Signature: As professionals, we not only can, but must, voice our concerns when what we are teaching produces consequences of which we do not approve. If we are social scientists, we must evaluate and comment on the social processes occurring in our environment. (Judd, 1983, p.268) EFL professionals in the Arab world, consciously or unconsciously, play a dangerous role when they glorify the use of English. (Troudi, 2009, p.211) Acknowledgements First and foremost I wish to thank my supervisor Dr Esmaeel Abdollahzadeh, my co-supervisor Professor Vivienne Baumfield, and my former co-supervisor Professor Jane Seale for their professionalism and encouragement. All three are an asset to academia. I am also indebted to UAE ‘old hands’ Dr Peter Hatherley-Greene and Dr Ronald Boyle, both of whom – without promise of payment or any other form of reward – offered to give their valuable time to read and give feedback on the individual chapters of this study as I produced them. I believe that this thesis is immeasurably stronger as a direct result of the astute and well-informed comments, advice, and criticism I received from Peter and Ron. Both are gentlemen and scholars. I also wish to thank – indeed, dedicate this thesis to – the students who, without hesitation, gave their time to take part in this study. If it were not for these young ladies placing their complete trust in me when relating their attitudes towards and experiences of school and university, this thesis could not have been written. i Abstract This exploratory, interpretive study investigates the attitudes towards and experiences of English- medium instruction (EMI) within higher education (HE) on the part of female students completing an intensive foundation programme at a major federal tertiary institution in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Two data collection procedures were employed in this study, a 21-item questionnaire, and in- depth, face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. Content analysis was performed on transcriptions of the latter, a procedure which gave rise to recurring, emergent themes. Such themes included the belief expressed by some participants that having the second language (L2) of English as the medium of instruction (MI) can act as a barrier to learning, and that it would be preferable to study in their first language (L1) of Arabic. Additionally, it was found that some students believed their secondary school education had failed to afford them adequate preparation for EMI HE, a disturbing finding given that the government of the UAE appears to have stated a desire to achieve universal HE for females, whilst also signalling its intention to eliminate university-based foundation programmes. In addition to such academic-related findings, it emerged that there exists significant ambivalence towards the place and standing of English in contemporary Emirati society, with a recurring theme being that whilst knowledge of and proficiency in English is required for the globalised economy, and thus for the future of the country, the pervasive spread of the English language in the UAE poses a threat not only to Arabic, but also to the religious identity and cultural integrity of the indigenous Emirati population. The findings of this study lead to the recommendation that the UAE implement a paradigmatic shift in its language policy within federally-sponsored HE by reverting to Arabic as the primary MI, with English as a foreign language (EFL) or English as a second language (ESL) as a subject replacing EMI. ii Table of contents page Acknowledgements i Abstract ii Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1.1 The nature of the problem 1 1.2 Rationale for the study 3 1.3 Significance of the study 5 1.4 Research questions 6 Chapter 2: Contextualisation of study 8 2.1 The rapid development of the UAE 8 2.1.1 From Bedouins to bankers 8 2.1.2 Demographic, socio-cultural, and linguistic consequences of rapid growth 9 2.1.2.1 Demographic imbalances 9 2.1.2.2 Socio-cultural tensions 10 2.1.2.3 The linguistic landscape of the UAE 10 2.1.2.3.1 Domains of use: Linguistic dualism in the UAE 11 2.1.2.3.2 Traversing different domains of use: Code-switching 11 2.1.3 The burgeoning education system of the UAE 12 2.2 Educational underachievement in the UAE 13 2.3 The rentier state, the social contract, and the rentier mentality 15 2.3.1 The rentier state 15 2.3.2 The social contract 15 2.3.3 The rentier mentality 16 2.4 The ‘purpose’ of HE for females in the UAE 16 2.5 Contrasts in education in the UAE 18 2.5.1 Facilities and funding 18 2.5.2 Staff and faculty 19 2.5.3 Curricula contrasts 20 2.5.4 Teaching methodologies 21 2.6 Ramifications of a conservative culture for the education of women 23 2.6.1 A desire to be a teacher, though not necessarily to teach 24 2.7 Summary 25 Chapter 3: Literature review 27 3.1 CLIL, L2MI, and EMI 28 3.2 MI as language policy: Decisions and dilemmas 31 iii 3.3 The adoption of EMI prior to conducting adequate research 32 3.4 The need for English: Two common justifications 34 3.4.1 English: A global language for a globalised economy 34 3.4.2 The discourse of English as the language of science and technology 35 3.5 EMI and Phillipson’s fallacies of ELT 37 3.6 Some effects and non-effects of EMI 38 3.6.1 Some effects of EMI 38 3.6.1.1 Fear of ‘losing face’ 38 3.6.1.2 Lack of student participation 39 3.6.1.3 Pedagogical pantomime and classroom charades 42 3.6.1.4 A level playing field? L2MI as an exclusionary practice 46 3.6.1.5 The emergence of a two-tier system 47 3.6.1.6 Summary of effects 49 3.6.2 Some non-effects of EMI 50 3.6.2.1 Language learning as a result of L2MI: ‘Incidental’ or coincidental? 50 3.7 Attitudes towards English and EMI in the UAE 53 3.7.1 Societal attitudes towards English and EMI 53 3.7.2 Student attitudes towards English and EMI 54 3.8 Summary 56 3.9 Further research required 56 Chapter 4: Methodology 58 4.1 Paradigms: Ontologies, epistemologies, and methodologies 58 4.2 Constructionism and the interpretive paradigm 59 4.3 Data in an interpretive study 60 4.3.1 Forms of data in an interpretive study 60 4.3.2 What qualitative data can reveal 61 4.4 The current study: Research questions and paradigmatic stance 62 4.4.1 Research design 63 4.4.1.1 Data collection procedure 63 4.4.1.1.1 Questionnaires 63 4.4.1.1.1.1 Quasi-statistics 66 4.4.1.1.2 Interviews 66 4.4.1.2 Population sampling 68 4.4.1.3 Cultural challenges of interviews 70 4.4.1.4 Importance of piloting interviews 71 4.4.1.5 Interviews: Procedure and technique 71 4.4.1.6 Transcription of interviews 73 4.5 Data analysis 74 4.5.1 Analysis of interview data 75 4.5.2 Analysis of questionnaire data 75 iv 4.6 Validity, reliability, and generalisability: Credibility and trustworthiness 76 4.7 Limitations of the interview medium and transcriptions 77 4.8 Setting and participants 78 4.8.1 Setting: Education in the desert 78 4.8.2 Participants 79 4.8.2.1 Participants’ backgrounds and biographic data 80 4.8.2.1.1 Aisha & Asma 80 4.8.2.1.2 Salama & Yamna 81 4.8.2.1.3 Zainab 81 4.8.2.1.4 Bahkita 82 4.8.2.1.5 Maryam 82 4.8.2.1.6 Ghadeer & Latifa 82 4.8.2.1.7 Alanoud 83 4.9 Ethical considerations 83 4.9.1 Double agency and ‘captive’ participants 84 4.9.2 Informed consent 85 4.9.3 Protection of participants’ identities 85 4.9.4 Ethical dimensions of interviews 86 4.10 Summary 87 Chapter 5: Findings and discussion 89 5.1 RQ1: What are female students’ views regarding and experiences of EMI in HE in the UAE? 90 5.1.1 Fear 90 5.1.1.1 Fear of commencing EMI HE after having attended an Arabic-medium school 90 5.1.1.2 Fear of using English before one’s peers 91 5.1.2 Unnaturalness of using an L2 with speakers of the same L1 94 5.1.3 English versus Arabic 97 5.1.4 Non-enactment of EMI: Code-switching 100 5.1.5 Student MI preferences 103 5.1.6 Teacher competence in English 107 5.1.7 Adverse impact of EMI on academic performance 109 5.1.8 Coping strategies 112 5.1.9 English for the future of the UAE 114 5.1.10 English as a threat to the cultural and religious identity of the UAE 120 5.1.11 Benefits to students of Arabic L1 teachers 124 5.1.11.1 Knowledge of students’ L1 124 5.1.11.2 Advantageous for lower levels 125 5.2 RQ2: What challenges do female students believe they face when transitioning from secondary school to EMI tertiary studies in the UAE? 127 5.2.1 School not adequate preparation for HE 127 5.2.1.1 MI and materials mismatch 128 v 5.2.1.2 The switch from an Arabic-medium school to EMI HE 129 5.2.1.3 Switch in teaching styles 136 5.3 RQ3: What are the students’ views regarding the English language proficiency requirement of an overall 5.0 IELTS, or equivalent, for admission to faculty studies at federal university? 138 5.3.1 ‘Washback’ from IELTS 138 5.3.1.1 Resentment of and resistance towards IELTS 139 5.3.2 An even unlevel playing field 142 5.4 Summary of findings 146 Chapter 6: Conclusion 149 6.1 Limitations of study 149 6.1.1 Interviews conducted in an L2 149 6.1.2 Small sample population 150 6.1.3 Polite responses 151 6.1.4 The selection of voice 151 6.2 Further research required 152 6.3 A recommendation 153 6.4 The potential consequences of maintaining EMI within HE in the UAE 154 6.5 Final words 155 Appendix A: Ethical research approval 156 Appendix B.
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