Challenges in English Medium Instruction From the Instructors' Perspective: Insights From Polish Higher Education

ABSTRACT English medium instruction (EMI) programs have been introduced across higher education institutions worldwide, with the decision‐making process behind implementing EMI often lacking empirical evidence. Poland has likewise followed this trend without any prior incentive in research. To contribute to a better global understanding of EMI, this study provides insights from 48 instructors teaching EMI in 22 programs in the underresearched geographical context of Poland. To explore the instructors' perceptions of challenges in EMI, data was collected through an online questionnaire within a mixed‐methods approach. The main challenges that emerged encompassed the lack of support and resources available for instructors, mixed abilities among students within a given group, and hampered content comprehension in EMI classes. The solutions that instructors offered involve increasing the resources necessary to teach in EMI, offering methodological and language training for the staff, as well as standardization of requirements during the admission of students. Contrary to recent trends in EMI, translanguaging practices were not seen as a solution to the communicative challenges caused by students' insufficient English skills. Instead, more rigorous entry tests were proposed. Despite the identified challenges, a majority of instructors recognize the value of EMI in higher education, acknowledging English's role as a global language of science.