Policy and Practice: Bilingual Teachers' and Students' Identities in Saudi University English Departments

Abstract

Despite the increasing promotion of English as the medium of instruction (EMI) in Saudi higher education under KSA Vision 2030, the use of EMI within English departments remains largely implicit, informal, and inconsistently implemented. In the absence of clearly articulated language policies, English-only (EO) expectations function as implicit norms, creating tensions between language institutional ideologies and the reality of bilingual classroom practices. This study adopted a convergent mixed-methods design involving 21 bilingual Saudi instructors and 174 undergraduate students from English departments at six universities across different regions of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected through surveys, asynchronous written interviews, and focus group discussions, analyzed using descriptive statistics and Braun and Clarke's (2006) thematic analysis.

Findings were integrated during the interpretation stage to provide a comprehensive understanding of EMI practices and language ideologies. The results indicate substantial ambivalence, anxiety, and identity struggle in addition to strong instrumental support for EMI. Participants continuously relied on Arabic as a cognitive and affective resource to aid understanding and communication, even while they valued English for academic and professional progress. These findings imply that current EMI practices operate within a realm of negotiated bilingualism rather than pure monolingualism, underscoring the need for more explicit, context-sensitive language policies that acknowledge and manage Arabic’s pedagogical role. This study positions instructors and students as active agents who strategically negotiate language use to balance learning, identity, and wellbeing, and are encouraged to be involved in shaping language policy decisions.