Learning Competencies for English Medium Instruction and Student Learning at Primary Level

Using English as medium of instruction at the primary level is a rapidly growing global phenomenon in the countries where English is not the first language of the learners because of the onslaught of English as global lingua franca. Public opinion is divided and controversial but not against the introduction of EMI at primary level. The researches specifically focusing the impact of EMI on the learning of the speakers of other languages at primary level are rare and most of them are based on assumptions. The same is true for the studies related to mother tongue instruction. But no research is available about the competencies of the young learners for EMI at primary or pre-primary level. The present study focused on the instincts and capabilities of children of young learners which they bring to the classroom to be exploited for learning through EMI at the primary level. Using a qualitative research design for the present study the EMI teachers working in the DJ primary English medium schools of Giligit-Baltistan province were selected for data collection through the focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews. Participants were selected using purposive sampling technique. Thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data. Major findings of this study highlighted a number of learning competencies children bring to an EMI classroom for effective learning at the primary level