Investigating the Perceptions of Thai University EFL Students towards English as a Medium of Instruction at a Tutorial School: A Case Study

This study investigates the use of English as the medium of instruction (EMI) by a non-native speaker as part of shadow education. Data were collected from a group of Thai students (n = 5) enrolled in an English course at a local tutorial school during their last year of tertiary education. Specifically, the study focused on the perceptions and experiences of the participants' being tutored under EMI by a non-native teacher. Email interviews were conducted with the participants and were later transcribed. In addition, three essays were collected from each of the participants, totaling 15 pieces and analyzed focusing on global, morphological and syntactical levels. Also, interaction behavior and attitudes towards English were observed. Salient findings are as follows: 1) the participants appeared to display positive perceptions towards EMI instruction; 2) drastic improvements were observed in terms of word choices and more correct syntactical structures and 3) most participants were willing to speak English more often among themselves. Limitations were reported and implications discussed about teaching performances.