The Relationship Between Language of Instruction at Secondary School and Academic Achievement in Emi Higher Education

EMI became an educational policy in Kazakhstan and its benefits are not arguable. Although EMI state is in action challenges emerge on the way. Therefore, continuous research in this field is needed for educated decisions on all levels of education. Considering higher education level interrelated with others, schooling as a previous step might have an impact on it. This article investigates the correlation between the academic performance of undergraduate students in English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) programs and their language of instruction during secondary school. The primary objective is to determine whether studying in English during secondary education confers an advantage to EMI undergraduates. By utilizing administrative data obtained from a selective private EMI university in Kazakhstan (n=6.980) and conducting t-test analyses, the study reveals that students who studied in EMI secondary schools perform better academically in their EMI university studies. The implications of these findings on policy are discussed. Keywords: English-medium instruction, higher education, academic achievement, EMI, trilingual education.