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Challenges of Using English as a Medium of Instruction: Preservice Science

Teachers' Perspective

Article  in  The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher · December 2009

DOI: 10.3860/taper.v18i2.1331

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The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher 18:2 (2009), pp. 307-316

Challenges of Using English

as a Medium of Instruction:
Pre-service Science Teachers’ Perspective
Ju lian a O thman
University of Malaya
juliana@um.edu.my

Ro haida Moh d Saat

University of Malaya

Teaching Science in English is one of the most important changes made in the education policy
in Malaysia recently. In order to understand the impact this language policy has on prospective
teachers, this study was conducted to find out how pre-service teachers of science cope with
the challenges of teaching through the medium of the English language during their teaching
practicum. 154 trainees enrolled in the Bachelor of Education in Science program at a local
university participated in this study. Data is drawn from survey questionnaires with the student
teachers so as to examine the instructional strategies used to cope with language related problems
while teaching Science. Based on the results of this study, the researchers discussed implications
for professional development in teacher training programs.

Keywords: pre-service teachers, science education , English language policy

For many years, much attention and effort
have been given to the improvement of the quality
of the Malaysian education system through
curriculum reforms and teacher training. One
recent reform is the reintroduction of English as
a Medium of Instruction (EMI) in mathematics and
science subjects at school and university level.
This action is a response to the decline of English
language skills which is believed to have an
adverse effect on the co untry’s eco nomic
development. Further, the pervasive view of the
globalization of English and the decline in the
standards of English in the country is seen as a
“major obstacle to the aspiration that Malaysia be
declared a developed nation by 2020” (Nunan,
2003).
Thus in the year 2003, teachers of Mathematics
and Science in Malaysia began to teach what is
familiar to them, that is, the content, in a different
medium of instruction, i.e English. This change
in the language of instruction is indeed a
formidable challenge, as seen in the light of
concerns regarding t he t eachers’ English
pro ficiency and co mpet ency (Pandian &
Ramiah, 2004). Prospective and practicing
mathematics and science teachers face several
challenges, having to cope with the double
demand of t ransmitt ing content as well as

© 2009 De La Salle University, Philippines

308 THE ASIA-PACIFIC EDUCATION RESEARCHER
language. The situation is even more challenging
for prospective teachers, many of whom are
o ver whelmed when fir st t hr ust int o t he
classroom. They often struggle with the realities
of teaching and managing a real classroom.
Thus, having to teach mathematics and science
using EMI to English language learners (ELLs)
poses a tremendous challenge to them.
As this language policy has a far-reaching
impact on teacher education in Malaysia, the
present study examines the challenges and coping
strategies that a group of pre-service science
teachers at a local university had to overcome
during their teaching practicum.
Literature Review
Research relating to the teaching preparation
experiences of content teachers using EMI in Asia
is small in number (Bodycott, 1997; Hudson,
Nguyen & Hudson, 2008). A study conducted by
Lim, Gan and Sharpe (1997) reported that
English-medium teacher education programs in
Singapo r e did no t ne ce ss ar ily p r ep ar e
prospective English immersion teachers with
adequate communicative competence to serve
as suitable language models in the classroom.
The researchers suggested that English-medium
teacher education programs need to adopt a
more communicative approach of language
teaching in order to improve the English language
proficiency of teacher trainees.
Pre-service teachers need to acquire expert
knowledge in the full range of competencies that
make up the core skills of a content area teacher.
Abell and Bryan (1999) noted that the development
of pre-service teachers’ skills for teaching science
requires scaffolding with focused attention on the
acquisition of pedagogical knowledge and content
knowledge. As content area teachers, they must
also try to mediate content knowledge and
language instruction effectively to ELLs (Genessee,
1993 ; Met, 1991 ; Walker & Tedick, 2000). EFL
pre-service teachers, in addition, have to face
the extra challenge of being proficient in English in
order to teach the content area using EMI (Hudson
et al., 2008).
VOL. 18 NO. 2
It is not clear how well pre-service teachers deal
with English language learners in their content
classroom. While there is an abundance of
research on factors that influence teachers’
instructional decision making, there is a paucity
of research on how they cope with the challenges
they face during their practicum. Therefore, the
researchers sought to examine the challenges and
pedagogical strategies of pre-service teachers
currently in the field and utilize their experience
to improve preparation programs for future
teachers.
Context of the Study
Teacher education in Malaysia occurs at two
levels, the training of non-graduate teachers in the
teacher training colleges, and the training of
graduate teachers in the universities. Graduate
teachers for the secondary schools are mostly
trained in the universities which offer a four-year
program in which students do their teacher training
as undergraduates.
This study took place at a local university
where the Bachelor o f Science Education
(B.Sc.Ed.) program is being offered. This
program was established in 1975 to meet the
demands of secondary school science and
mathematics teachers in schools. It is a four-year
pro gram. The st udent s undergo t eaching
practicum in the fourth year for 10 to 12 weeks.
The practicum allows students to experience
teaching in real situation. It is an important
component of teacher education. Its main
function is to provide student teachers with the
opportunity to develop teaching competencies in
a variety of instructional contexts, and at different
levels, under the guidance and supervision of
cooperating teachers and of the university
lecturers.
Prior to 2004, the medium of instruction for
B.Sc Ed programs in most public universities
was Malay. The change in the language policy
for mathematics and science has now become
especially challenging for some of the pre-
service teachers who are not proficient in
English themselves (Chan & Tan, 2006). In
PRE-SERVICE SCIENCE TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVE
addition, it is a daunting task to effectively teach
content area in English within the context of
Malaysian schools as many of the learners
themselves had low levels of English language
proficiency.
This study concerns the change in the education
policy involving the change in the medium of
instruction for Science in schools. This study aims
to:
1) find out the challenges that pre-service
teachers face with teaching Science in
English.
2) find out the strategies that the pre-service
teachers of Science use to help them cope
with the challenges faced.
It is hoped that this study would provide insights
to teacher trainers as to the difficulties faced by
the pre-service teachers so as to provide them with
proper training.
METHOD
Participants
The participants of this study were 154 pre-
service t eachers enro lled in t he pro gram
Bachelor of Education in Science at a local
university. 138 of the subjects were female and
16 were male. Their ages ranged from 22- 28
years old. In terms of their first language (L1),
78 % spoke Malay, 20.1 % Chinese and 7.9 %
spoke English. On average, the students scored
band 3 on their Malaysian University English
Test (MUET). MUET is a test of English
language proficiency taken by students who
intend to pursue their tertiary education at public
universities. MUET scores are graded in 6
bands, with Band 6 the highest and Band 1, the
lowest. Band 3 describes the user as having
modest command of the language. The pre-
service teachers who participated in this study
taught in various secondary schools which are
located both in urban and sub-urban schools in
the state of Selangor.
OTHMAN, J. & SAAT, R. 309
Design and Procedure
This study employed a quantitative approach in
analyzing da t a c o lle ct ed fr o m s u r ve y
questionnaires designed specifically for the
purpose of this study. The instrument was
content validated prior to its use. Five science
teachers from a postgraduate program pilot-
tested the survey and reviewed the questions in
order to establish their content validity in terms
o f inst r uct io nal st rat egies. App r o p r iat e
modifications were made to the questionnaire
following the pilot test. In Part 1 (section 2 and
3), each item was coded according to its Likert
scale rating with an inter-rater reliability of
(ќ=0.96), using Cohen’s Kappa. For Part 2 of the
questionnaire, data were coded by two raters. The
two raters established an inter-rater reliability of
(ќ=0.92), using Cohen’s Kappa.
Instrument
The questionnaire consisted of two main parts.
The first part comprised three sections: (1)
demographic data about the pre-service teachers’
biographical backgrounds (2) items on the
challenges faced and (3) items on the strategies
used to cope with the challenges. The 27 survey
items contained a 4-point Likert-scale namely
“least challenging,” “quit e challenging,”
“challenging,” and “most challenging.” The
statements on the survey sought these pre-
service teachers’ perceptions of the challenges
they faced in their science classroom. In addition
to items that obtained data on their challenges,
t he q u est io nnair e inclu d ed it ems abo u t
pedagogical strategies which the pre-service
teachers employed to cope with their challenges.
The questionnaires were self-administered to all
respondents and were collected on the same
day.
The second part of the questionnaire consisted
of three open-ended questions designed to serve
as a guide for gauging the accuracy of the response
given by the respondents in the close-ended
questionnaire. Due to the open-ended and
exploratory nature of the questions, data were used
for descriptive purposes.
310 THE ASIA-PACIFIC EDUCATION RESEARCHER VOL. 18 NO. 2

Table 1
Pre-service Teachers’ Challenges

Challenges Mean* Std. Dev

Explaining concepts in English 2.71 0.72

Lack of teaching skills in integrating content
with language teaching. 2.66 0.74
Low English proficiency learners needs 2.61 0.90
Lack of appropriate instructional materials for class 2.58 0.90
Lack of competence in English 2.55 0.71

* Value based on 4-point Likert scale: 1= Least Challenging, 2 = Quite Challenging,

3 = Challenging and 4 = Most Challenging

Table 2
Pedagogical Strategies Employed by Pre-service Science Teachers

Strategy Mean* Std. Dev

Speaking slowly and using clear, simple language

to facilitate students’ comprehension 1.92 0.84
Using reference materials 2.13 0.96
Using both Malay and English (code-switching)
& translating during classroom talk 2.14 0.96
Using cooperative group activities 2.18 0.81
Using hands on activities 2.29 0.81
Using visual aids, practical demonstration and multi-media
software provided by the Education Ministry 2.32 0.98
Referring to useful websites for assistance 2.42 0.88
Preparing a script to help deliver lessons in English 2.72 0.97
Introducing new vocabulary before teaching a topic. 2.73 0.80

* Value based on 4-point Likert scale: 1= A lot, 2 = Moderately, 3 = Somewhat and

4 = Not at all

Data Analysis FINDINGS

Data collected were analysed using SPSS 13.
Descriptive st atistics on the participant s’
response on the survey items are displayed in
Tables 1 and 2. Data from the open-ended
questions were used for descriptive purposes
only.
Presented below are the results from the survey
data on the challenges encountered by the
respondents with the teaching of science through the
medium of English as a second language in their
classroom.
PRE-SERVICE SCIENCE TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVE
On a scale of 1 to 4 (1=least challenging,
4=most challenging), we calculated the top five
challenges that teachers face with teaching science
in English. These challenges were: explaining
concepts in English (M = 2.71, SD= 0.72 ); lack
of teaching skills in integrating content with language
teaching (M= 2.66, SD= 0.74 ); low English
proficiency students’ needs (M= 2.61, SD= 0.90)
; lack of appropriate instructional materials for class
(M= 2.58 , SD= 0.90 ) and lack of competence in
English (M= 2.55, SD= 0.71).
Our pre-service teachers also rated the teaching
strategies they employed to cope with the
challenges they faced on a scale of 1 to 4 (1 =A
lot, 4 = Not at all). Table 2 displays the data
obtained from the survey questionnaire. It is evident
that the most frequently used strategies in the
science classroom are speaking slowly and clearly
to ensure that the students understand what is said
(m =1.92 ), using reference materials (m= 2.13);
using both Malay and English (code-switching) and
translating during classroom talk (m =2.14 ), using
group activities (m=2.18 ), employing hands on
activit ies (m=2.29), using visual aids and
multimedia software provided by the education
ministry (m = 2.32 ), referring to useful websites
for assistance (m= 2.42), preparing a script to
help deliver lessons in English (m=2.72), and
introducing new vocabulary before teaching a topic
(m = 2.73 ).
PEDAGOGICAL CHALLENGES AND
STRATEGIES
Findings from the open-ended part of the
questionnaire revealed that our pre-service
teachers have a repertoire of strategies and are
able to manipulate them to suit the needs of their
learners. They are able to employ various
pedagogical strategies to mediate learners’ learning
through English.
Facilitating learners’ understanding of
science concepts in L2
One of the main challenges faced by pre-service
teachers in our study was in explaining science
OTHMAN, J. & SAAT, R. 311
concepts in English. To overcome this problem,
most of the pre-service teachers use both English
and Malay during classroom talk. They would
code-switch frequently in order to gain their
learners’ attention and to facilitate learners’
understanding of science concepts.
Another strategy employed by our pre-service
teachers was translation from English to Malay.
Most of them resorted to translation as a means of
enabling learners to understand concepts without
wasting much time. They read texts which were in
English with the learners and then translated them
into Malay and repeated points in Malay for
emphasis. They claim that this is usually done with
the weaker learners in the classroom so as to
facilitate the flow of instruction and to make sure
the learners could follow the lesson. These
strategies are in line with what research (Pease-
Alvarez, Garcia & Espinosa, 1991; Thomas &
Collier, 2002) has shown that using learners’ native
language could increase the English language
learners’ (ELLs) understanding. As Lucas and Katz
(1994) argue, a learners’ native language serves
several important functions: it gives learners
“access to academic content, to classroom
activities, and to their own knowledge and
experience.”
In order to make complex science concepts
more comprehensible for the ELLs, our pre-service
teachers frequently employed pedagogical
strategies such as contextualizing academic
language by using visual aids and multimedia
software. Teaching through multiple senses can
make abstract concepts easier to visualize and
keep learners’ concentration high.
Another frequently used strategy is carrying
out guided demonstrations to introduce a particular
concept with which learners had difficulty. During
the demonstration stage, the pre-service teachers
would introduce science concepts using simple
language and go through the process slowly. As
one of the respondents points out,
“ To make them understand, I use a flow
chart or a diagram to illustrate the science
concept. Then I go slowly with them until
312 THE ASIA-PACIFIC EDUCATION RESEARCHER
they und erstand and ma ster the
concept…..” ( Participant 4)
Apart from guided demonstrations, pre-service
teachers in our study also involved learners in
hands-on activities to facilitate understanding of
complex science concepts.
“I’ll carry out some hands-on activities
with my students. I think they can learn
better that way.” (Participant 26)
Research studies (Hart & Lee, 2003; Lee,
2002; Lee & Fradd, 1998) suggest that ELLs
can benefit greatly from hands-on activities as they
do not have to rely on the mastery of academic
language to be able to participate. Hands-on
activities are more accessible to students with
limited science experience because they are
contextualized.
Integrating Language and Content
Open-ended data from the respondents
revealed that they were not sure as to how to
integrate language and science instruction in their
classrooms. This was not surprising as they did
not receive much training on how to integrate the
teaching of English as a second language with
science instruction at the university. They need to
address the needs of English language learners with
regard to their academic language development
which are not limited to vocabulary but which also
include language structures and discourse features
used in science. As language is the primary means
of instruction, the learners’ ability to participate in
science is dependent on their language ability:
talking, listening, reading, and writing (Lee &
Fradd, 1998). In addition, science has its own
genre and register. The ability to use science register
is essent ial fo r learners t o u nder st and,
conceptualize, discuss, read and write in science
subjects.
In response t o pedago gical challenges
associated with integrating language and science
instruction, pre-service teachers in our study
employed various strategies. One of the strategies
which they used was to teach the scientific
VOL. 18 NO. 2
vocabulary before introducing the content and to
encourage learners to use the dictionary to look
for word meanings. Our open-ended questions data
indicated that majority of the pre-service teachers
were aware that science has its own distinct
vocabularies and technical terms as well as non-
technical terms that have meanings unique to
scientific contexts (Wellington & Osborne, 2001).
They believed that learners need to learn differences
between how words are used in an everyday
context and their meanings in science (e.g energy,
mass, force).
“The meaning of a word sometimes we look
up in a regular dictionary. For scientific
words then we’d use scientific dictionary.”
(Participant 15)
By introducing new vocabulary before teaching
a topic, the pre-service teachers hoped that the
learners will understand the use of these new words
in context. This is important to ensure learners’
readiness for learning science in English. Wellington
and Osborne (2001) note that ‘the key to
understanding a subject like science is to
understand its language.’ In other words, science
teachers cannot ignore the fact that to some extent
they are language teachers. It is important to
incorporate vocabulary development into science
lessons both to ensure that learners understand
science and to improve their English skills.
“ I prepare a glossary of new words with
meaning and give them to the students
a n d g o t h ro u g h wi t h t h e m b ef o re
teaching ….” (Participant 72)
Previous research has shown that peer-to-peer
interaction enhances learners’ linguistic development
(Thomas & Collier, 1997; Yeh, Chen, Kwong,
Chiang, Wang & Pu-Folkes, 2002). Cooperative
group work provides structured opportunities to
help elicit repeated use of vocabulary, academic
content concepts, and a variety of language
structures. As Calderon (2001) notes, cooperative
learning can be an “effective vehicle for learning
content and learning in a second language.”
PRE-SERVICE SCIENCE TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVE
Issues of language
Meeting the needs of low English proficiency
learners poses another challenge to the pre-service
teachers. In order to address this challenge, they
simplify the language of abstract concepts by
retelling content information in simpler English.
They also use simple sentence structure and high
frequency words. Furthermore, our findings
indicate that some of the pre-service teachers speak
slowly to ensure that their learners understand what
they say. Another reason for doing so is because
some of the pre-service teachers feel that they are
not fluent enough in English. Hence, the issue here
does not merely concern the ability of the learners
to understand what is said by their teachers, it also
concerns the ability of the pre-service teachers to
articulate words correctly and clearly so that
students understand them.
“I try to simplify the language that I use.
Use simple words and sentences. I also
speak slowly so that they can catch what I
say.” (Participant 45).
As a result of the pre-service teachers’ lack of
competence to teach science through the medium
of English, they frequently use code-switching in
delivering their instruction. They code-switch when
they have difficulty with language structures or
certain lexical items in English.
“Sometimes when teaching (Science) in
English, I have problems with vocabulary
… So I use Malay for the words or phrases
that I don’t know…..” ( Participant 61)
They are aware that the use of the first language
in the science classroom is often seen as “bad
practice” by the policy makers but as Brock-Utne
(2005) rightly argues “while we are waiting for the
ideal situation to happen, teachers must be allowed
to code-switch because their speech behavior is
sometimes the only possible communicative
resource there is for the management of learning.”
The use of code-switching in this context is seen
as an interim measure to ensure the smooth delivery
of classroom instruction. One would anticipate that
OTHMAN, J. & SAAT, R. 313
code-switching will eventually be replaced by
genuine English medium instruction as the pre-
service teachers’ level of competency develops.
It is clear that the pre-service science teachers
have a real task to educate learners in science. They
have to be well-versed with the language of science
in order to convey the content and ensure that the
learners understand the concepts. This may be
made easier when the prospective teachers are
familiar with the medium of instruction in which
science is being taught, as they would then have to
focus mainly on one aspect, that is, the language
of science. However, if the prospective teachers
are not familiar with the medium of instruction, this
task would prove even more challenging as they
would have to focus on two aspects; being familiar
with the language of instruction as well as the
language of science.
IMPLICATIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
The pre-service teachers in our study expressed
concern that they received little if any training on
how to integrate science instruction with learners’
language development. The existing curriculum
offered by the university did not provide them with
the skills needed to do this. The need for effective
English medium teacher preparation in this context
is crucial. In order to successfully implement the
teaching of science through the medium of English,
teacher educators must find ways to help these
pre-service teachers acquire the linguistic tools
and content-specific instructional strategies to help
them teach effectively. The findings of this study
imply that more focus should be given to teacher
training development as suggested by several
studies (Pandian & Ramiah, 2004; Chan & Ain
Nadzimah, 2005).
Our open-ended data also revealed that a
significant number of the pre-service teachers had
great difficulty with teaching a second language in
the context of subject matter instruction. Their
awareness of the distinctions between learning a
language socially and academically (Cummins,
314 THE ASIA-PACIFIC EDUCATION RESEARCHER
1981) need to be raised. Cummins (1981)
distinguished these two levels of language
proficiency as basic interpersonal communicative
skills (BICS) and cognitive academic language
proficiency (CALP). According to Cummins,
BICS is cognitively undemanding and context-
embedded since contextual cues are available to
bot h speaker and listener involved in t he
conversation. On the other hand, CALP involves
language that is content-reduced and highly
demanding cognitively, such as, the language of
science. So, in order to perform effectively in
science, students would need to develop CALP.
Cummins reports that it takes 5 to 7 years for
language learners to be proficient in academic
English as compared to 2 t o 3 years fo r
conversational proficiency.
What Cummins’ BICS and CALP signify for
English medium education is that, in order for
language learners to read and comprehend content
area textbooks and perform cognitively demanding
tasks, such as participating in academic discussions
and writing reports, they need academic English
that takes them beyond that of social English. As
the study revealed, in order to facilitate students’
acquisition of content knowledge while enhancing
their language competency, it is crucial for pre-
service teachers to be proficient in both their L2
use and their instructional practice.
Pre-service teachers’ lack of competence in
English language skills is of great concern. The
current language support mechanisms available at
the university level are not enough to meet their
needs. An interim measure taken to provide
language support for the pre-service teachers at
the research site included a seven-week English
language proficiency course before they embark
on their teaching practicum. The course was
conducted for 2 hours every Saturday and focused
mainly on oral communication. Feedback obtained
from the participants revealed that these courses
were inadequate for meeting their linguistic needs.
They felt that they needed a sustained academic
language development such as English for Specific
Purposes (ESP) component in their teacher training
program in order to develop their English language
VOL. 18 NO. 2
competence to a level that will meet their professional
requirements. As such, one of the mechanisms that
could be introduced is to provide the pre-service
teachers with an ESP course which is similar to
the English for Teaching Mathematics and Science
(ETeMS) programme conducted by the Ministry
of Education for in-service teachers. The ETeMS
programme focuses on developing English language
skills needed by teachers to deliver their lessons
and manage their classrooms effectively.
Another support mechanism that could help
pre-service teachers improve their language
proficiency is through collaborative efforts with
their peers who are proficient in English. In
Malaysia, one such programme that has been
developed by the Ministry of Education is the
“Buddy system.” Under this system, science
teachers are encouraged to meet regularly with a
colleague teaching English, also known as a ‘critical
friend’ in order to strengthen their command of the
language. The Buddy system at the university level
could involve other pre-service teachers in the
Bachelor of Education majoring in Teaching English
as a Second Language program. They could meet
regularly with their English major buddies in order
to help them improve their English language
proficiency.
This study offer insights into the different
challenges that pre-service science teachers in
Malaysia had to face with the sudden change of
the medium of instruction from Malay to English.
Pre-service teachers in our study were creative and
resourceful in addressing these challenges in their
science classroom. However, regardless of the
instructional strategies adopted, careful planning
and development of suitable instructional approach
are required because as pre-service teachers of
science use the English language as their medium
of instruction, they indirectly facilitate their learners’
acquisition of English.
CONCLUSION
As a whole, the findings of the study provide
strong implications for professional development.
PRE-SERVICE SCIENCE TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVE
Teacher training development efforts must involve
intensive programs to help pre-service science
teachers to improve their language competency
and develop skills in integrating language and
content. In addition, training should include helping
prospective teachers develop a repertoire of
instructional activities and effective ways to assist
their students in learning cognitively challenging
science content and language.
In conclusion, a lot of work remains to be done
and changes must be made if we are to provide
prospective teachers with the tools and knowledge
that they need to successfully achieve the
objectives of the curriculum initiative. Equipping
prospective teachers with the necessary skills to
be effective teachers is the responsibility of teacher
education institutions.
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