Marma Students’ Well-being with EMI in Higher Education in Bangladesh
Abstract
While learning a second language (L2) is already challenging, facing a third language (L3) in the medium of instruction (MOI) in higher education is even worse for Marma community students in Bangladesh. This study investigated the well-being of Marma students through existing dual MOI practices, with a particular focus on the effects of English medium instruction (EMI) in higher education, where the context is English as a foreign language (EFL). The purpose of this research was to identify the challenges and unique perspectives not documented in earlier studies. Marma is an influential ethnic community in Bangladesh. Having unique mother tongue (L1) and distinctive culture, Marma students often encounter linguistic and cultural anxieties in different academic levels and settings due to their compulsory learning of Bengali (L2) and English (L3) languages. The researchers conducted an in-depth focus group interview (FGI) with seven Marma students from five higher education institutions (HEIs) and a focus group discussion (FGD) with five teachers from the same institutions. The findings revealed that the most important wellbeing issues Marma students frequently face are English medium instructions in higher education, learning English as a third language (L3), interactions in academic presentation and communication, classroom conversations, weak foundation at the secondary level, minority feelings or isolation, cultural challenges and mental anxieties. The study’s novelty lies in its focus on a marginalized ethnic community in Bangladesh, offering useful findings for reconsidering teaching and learning practices with a more inclusive higher education curriculum. While there is a scarcity of literature regarding Marma students’ education, this study advocated that innovative methods, culturally sensitive curricula, and adaptive MOI approaches are necessary for Marma students’ well-being to overcome linguistic and cultural challenges and cope better with languages of instruction in higher education.
Keywords: Dual MOI, third language (L3), well-being, Marma community, EMI, higher education
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