Fostering Students’ Readiness for English-Medium Instruction (EMI) Through the Development of Listening Strategies

Abstract

Many countries have adopted English as a medium of instruction in higher education, and in 2022 the Algerian government initiated a similar policy shift. For such a policy to succeed, university students must possess adequate English proficiency. Listening is central to both language use and knowledge acquisition, since in EMI contexts learners rely on listening ability to understand disciplinary content delivered in lectures. However, many EFL students struggle to develop the level of English listening competence required to benefit fully from EMI instruction. Listening strategies may either facilitate or hinder learning in EMI courses, depending on how effectively they are deployed. Given the scarcity of research on this issue in Algeria, the present study investigates the listening strategies used by students in the English Department at Blida 2 University, Algeria. In Algerian English departments, content courses such as linguistics and civilisation are taught in English and represent 50% of BA credits and 100% of MA credits. This context therefore provides an appropriate setting for examining listening in English-medium content instruction. Strategy use was analysed in relation to participants’ gender, English proficiency, and educational background. Understanding students’ strategic behaviour may help make EFL listening strategy instruction in Algerian English departments more conducive to academic achievement in content courses. Data were collected through three instruments: a listening comprehension test, a listening strategy-use questionnaire, and listening course syllabi. The instruments were reviewed for content validity by an expert and designed with reference to the relevant literature. The questionnaire was completed by eighty-one (81) randomly selected students, and the data were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. As an exploratory study, the findings are not intended for broad generalisation but should be viewed as initial insights. The main findings indicate apparent similarity in strategy use across the variables examined, suggest that appropriate strategy use may matter more than frequency of use, point to limited learner engagement, and reveal insufficient training in listening strategies. Recommendations are offered to improve listening strategy instruction in Algerian English departments and to support students in developing more effective listening strategies for learning from English-medium lectures.