The effect of language of instruction and language-learning aptitude on academic achievements in higher education

Many higher education (HE) programmes in the Netherlands are currently entirely English-taught. This enables students from all over the world to study in the Netherlands, thereby fostering transnational collaboration and inclusiveness. In line with this, Wilkinson (2013) reported that the transition from using Dutch as a medium of instruction (DMI) to English-medium instruction (EMI) was indeed mainly motivated by idealistic and educational motivations during the 1980s and 1990s. However, the development during the past 20 years appears to be driven by economic considerations mainly (Wilkinson 2013). Evidence on whether EMI has an impact on non-native English-speaking students’ academic achievements is ambiguous (Light, Xu & Mossop 1987, Johnson 1988, Vinke 1995, Klaassen 2001, Dafouz, Camacho & Urquia 2014, Dafouz & Camacho-Miñano 2016). 
This project investigates the influence of language of instruction on Dutch-speaking third-year BA students' attention to lectures, as well as their academic achievements. To monitor students' attention, eye-tracking data will be collected while students watch lectures in both languages (EMI and DMI). Students' language-learning aptitude are established individually and entered into the model to explore individual differences in lecture attention and academic achievements.