Student Perspectives on English Language Proficiency and its Significance in Health Sciences Education: An Exploratory Study of Assessing Course Efficacy and University Environment

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of English language courses within health sciences programs. It investigates students' perceptions of their language proficiency, identifies their strengths and weaknesses across key subskills, and examines the influence of university culture on their English language development.

Employing a mixed-methods explanatory sequential design, quantitative data was collected and analyzed first, followed by qualitative data to explicate the quantitative findings.

Data analysis revealed a distinct profile of student skills. In reading, the strongest subskill was identifying main ideas, while understanding technical terminology and making inferences were the weakest. For speaking, students reported proficiency in answering questions and delivering presentations but struggled with fluency and spontaneous interaction. In listening, comprehension of explicit classroom discussion was strong, whereas inferring implicit information was weak. For writing, students demonstrated competence in spelling and paragraph structure but faced significant challenges in expressing ideas idiomatically.

The study concludes that students from diverse educational backgrounds encounter difficulties in achieving uniform proficiency. A key recommendation is to implement streaming based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) levels to better address individual learner needs. Furthermore, English language pedagogy should be revised to integrate dedicated instruction in inferential reasoning, technical vocabulary, and idiomatic language use.