Main Article Content
Abstract
In the context of globalization, mastery of English is no longer optional but a prerequisite for legal professionals. Its relevance is evident not only in international contracts and arbitration but also in its role as a benchmark of global professional competence. This study explores the perceptions of law students at Syiah Kuala University who are enrolled in International Classes with English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) regarding the impact of English proficiency on their career prospects. Using a mixed-method approach combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews, this study analyses students' learning experiences in an EMI environment and their expectations for their professional aspirations. The results indicate that students are motivated by the dual benefits of EMI, mastery of substantive Law content, and enhanced linguistic capital. Students face challenges in understanding technical legal terminology and navigating linguistic gaps outside the classroom. However, they remain optimistic and show strong perseverance. These findings have important implications for the development of internationally oriented legal curricula and strategies to enhance the effectiveness of EMI programs.
Keywords
Article Details
References
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- Azmy, K., Rahman, F., Kutaraja, P., Aceh, B., Syiah, U., & Banda, K. (2024). Utilizing First Language (L1) In Teaching English: Examining the Beliefs of English Lecturers at Indonesian Universities Regarding the Use of L1 In English Language Instruction. 9(2), 124–140.
- Blake, H. L., Mcleod, S., Verdon, S., & Fuller, G. (2018). The relationship between spoken English proficiency and participation in higher education, employment and income from two Australian censuses. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20(2), 202–215. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2016.1229031
- Chang, S. Y. (2023). English medium instruction for whom and for what? Rethinking the language-content relationship in higher education. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 3(6), 161–176. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2022.2104304
- Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. SAGE PublicationsSage CA: Los Angeles, CA.
- Christou, P. A. (2022). How to use thematic analysis in qualitative research. Journal of Qualitative Research in Tourism, 3(2), 79-95.
- Dahlan, S., Ramdani, A., & Noni, N. (2024). Exploring Student Perceptions of Teaching Strategies in Business English Courses: Insights from EFL Contexts. Inspiring: English Education Journal, 7(2), 247–256. https://doi.org/10.35905/inspiring.v7i2.9359
- Dearden, J. (2018). The changing roles of EMI academics and English language specialists. Key issues in English for specific purposes in higher education. Journal on Technical and Vocational Education, 9(2), 124–140.
- Djuraev, A. (2025). The Role of ESP in International Studies : a Comparative Analysis of Curriculum Integration across Academic Years ISSN : 2792-8268. 2023–2025.
- Gazzola, M., & Mazzacani, D. (2019). Foreign language skills and employment status of European natives: evidence from Germany, Italy and Spain. Empirica, 46(4), 713–740. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10663-019-09460-7
- Grin, F., & Vaillancourt, F. (2021). The Economics of ‘Language [s] at Work’: Theory, Hiring Model and Evidence. In In Language revitalisation and social transformation (pp. 193–224). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
- Grishnova, O., & Panaseiko, S. (2021). Knowledge of English As an Asset of Human Capital. Economics & Education, 6(4), 53–59. https://doi.org/10.30525/2500-946x/2021-4-8
- Hidayat, M. T. (2024). English Language Proficiency and Career Opportunities: Perceptions of Indonesian University Graduates. Language Value, 17(1), 85–107. https://doi.org/10.6035/languagev.7933
- Holborow, M. (2021). In Education and the Discourse of Global Neoliberalism. In Language skills as human capital? Challenging the neoliberal frame (pp. 50–62).
- Isadaud, D., Fikri, M. D., & Bukhari, M. I. (2022). The urgency of English in the curriculum in Indonesia to prepare human resources for global competitiveness. DIAJAR: Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Pembelajaran, 1(1), 51–58. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.54259/diajar.v1i1.177
- Karunaratne, S. K. (2014). Student perceptions on learning English for personal and career development. Academic Research Journal, 2(10), 250–256.
- Lan, S. W. (2022). International students’ perceptions of multilingual English-medium instruction classrooms: a case study in Taiwan. Multilingua, 41(6), 717–742.
- Lasagabaster, D. (2022). English-medium instruction in higher education. Cambridge University Press.
- Li, M., & Pei, L. (2024). Exploring challenges in academic language-related skills of EFL learners in Chinese EMI settings. Acta Psychologica. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104309
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- Naka, L., & Spahija, D. (2022). Impact of English language as a human capital in the higher education institutions’ development strategy. Corporate and Business Strategy Review, 3(2), 262–272.
- Nurulhaq, G. H., Kurniawan, E., Hikmawan, I., & Ginanjar, R. (2024). The Teacher Community Role toward Teacher Professionalism on Designing EFL Instructional Objectives. Inspiring: English Education Journal, 140–162. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.35905/inspiring.v7i1.8940
- Park, J. S. Y. (2011). The promise of English: Linguistic capital and the neoliberal worker in the South Korean job market. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 14(4), 443–455. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2011.573067
- Peltokorpi, V. (2023). The “language” of career success: The effects of English language competence on local employees’ career outcomes in foreign subsidiaries. Journal of International Business Studies, 54(2), 258–284. https://doi.org/https://dx.doi.org/10.1057/s41267-022-00544-4
- Rahman, F., & Saputra, N. (2021). English as International Language Revisited: Implications on South Korea’s ELT Context. Scope: Journal of English Language Teaching, 6(1), 08–15. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.30998/scope.v6i1.9383
- Rahman, F. (2020). Bilingual Education vs English-only Approach at Australia’s Northern Territory Schools. REiLA : Journal of Research and Innovation in Language, 2(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/. https://doi.org/10.31849/reila.v2i1.3854
- Rahman, F, & Yuzar, E. (2020). Students’ Perception Towards NNESTs & NESTs’ Teaching Styles: A study at State Islamic University of Ar-Raniry. IJELTAL (Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics), 4(2), 321. https://doi.org/10.21093/ijeltal.v4i2.516
- Roberts, A. (2017). Is international law international?. Oxford University Press.
- Rose, H., Macaro, E., Sahan, K., Aizawa, I., Zhou, S., & Wei, M. (2023). Defining English medium instruction: Striving for comparative equivalence. Language Teaching, 56(2), 539–550. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444821000483
- Rumalessin, U. A. T., & Farah, R. R. (2021). Investigating the English needs of law department students in English for specific purposes. JEES (Journal of English Educators Society), 6(1), 126–132. https://doi.org/10.21070/jees.v6i1.1085
- Salomone, R., & Salomone, R. C. (2022). The rise of English: Global politics and the power of language. Oxford University Press.
- Sánchez-García, D. (2022). Internationalization through language and literacy in the Spanish-and English-medium education context. Integrating Content and Language in Multilingual Universities, 131–150. https://doi.org/https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46947-4_8
- Tietze, S., Piekkari, R., & Brannen, M. Y. (2014). From standardisation to localisation: Developing a language-sensitive approach to IHRM. In In The routledge companion to international human resource management (pp. 482–495). Routledge.
- Tsou, W. (2021). Translanguaging as a glocalized strategy for EMI in Asia. English-Medium Instruction Translanguaging Practices in Asia: Theories, Frameworks and Implementation in Higher Education, 3–17. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-3001-9_1
- Wasfie, T., Kirkpatrick, H., Barber, K., Hella, J. R., Anderson, T., & Vogel, M. (2023). Longitudinal study of emotional intelligence, well-being, and burnout of surgical and medical residents. The American SurgeonTM, 89(7), 3077–3083. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/00031348231157813
- Xu, J., & Hampden-, G. (2016). Cultural Reproduction , Cultural Mobility , Cultural Resources , or Trivial Effect ? A Comparative Approach to Cultural Capital and Educational Performance (Vol. 56, Issue 1, pp. 98–124). The University of Chicago Press on.
- Yan, X., Chuang, P. L., & Zhang, C. (2024). Economic return of English language proficiency: Do English proficiency scores predict employee income in China?. STUDIES IN LANGUAGE, 13(1), 108.
- Yasim, S., Paris, N., & Sabil, M. (2024). An Innovative Strategy in Learning English as A Foreign Language. Inspiring: English Education Journal, 7(2), 222–246. https://doi.org/10.35905/inspiring.v7i2.9049
- Yuzar, E., Rahmiaty, R., & Rahman, F. (2022). Am I Being Rude”: Exploring Indonesian Students’ Intercultural Communicative Competence in Inner Circle Countries. Lingual: Journal of Language & Culture, 13(1), 18–27.
- Yuzar, E. (2020). Incorporating Communicative Competence in Assessment and English Language Teaching in Multilingual Settings. Journal of Research and Innovation in Language, 2(1), 8–13. http://ojs.journal.unilak.ac.id/index.php/
References
Akther, F. (2022). English for personal and career development and its importance for better employment opportunities. Journal of Languages, Linguistics and Literary Studies, 2(3), 95–100. https://doi.org/ttps://doi.org/10.57040/jllls.v2i3.258
Aslam, A., Mudassir, M., Ghouse, G., & Farooq, A. (2024). Introducing modern human capital model. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 15(2), 6099–6110. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-023-01296-8
Azmy, K., Rahman, F., Kutaraja, P., Aceh, B., Syiah, U., & Banda, K. (2024). Utilizing First Language (L1) In Teaching English: Examining the Beliefs of English Lecturers at Indonesian Universities Regarding the Use of L1 In English Language Instruction. 9(2), 124–140.
Blake, H. L., Mcleod, S., Verdon, S., & Fuller, G. (2018). The relationship between spoken English proficiency and participation in higher education, employment and income from two Australian censuses. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20(2), 202–215. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2016.1229031
Chang, S. Y. (2023). English medium instruction for whom and for what? Rethinking the language-content relationship in higher education. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 3(6), 161–176. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2022.2104304
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. SAGE PublicationsSage CA: Los Angeles, CA.
Christou, P. A. (2022). How to use thematic analysis in qualitative research. Journal of Qualitative Research in Tourism, 3(2), 79-95.
Dahlan, S., Ramdani, A., & Noni, N. (2024). Exploring Student Perceptions of Teaching Strategies in Business English Courses: Insights from EFL Contexts. Inspiring: English Education Journal, 7(2), 247–256. https://doi.org/10.35905/inspiring.v7i2.9359
Dearden, J. (2018). The changing roles of EMI academics and English language specialists. Key issues in English for specific purposes in higher education. Journal on Technical and Vocational Education, 9(2), 124–140.
Djuraev, A. (2025). The Role of ESP in International Studies : a Comparative Analysis of Curriculum Integration across Academic Years ISSN : 2792-8268. 2023–2025.
Gazzola, M., & Mazzacani, D. (2019). Foreign language skills and employment status of European natives: evidence from Germany, Italy and Spain. Empirica, 46(4), 713–740. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10663-019-09460-7
Grin, F., & Vaillancourt, F. (2021). The Economics of ‘Language [s] at Work’: Theory, Hiring Model and Evidence. In In Language revitalisation and social transformation (pp. 193–224). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Grishnova, O., & Panaseiko, S. (2021). Knowledge of English As an Asset of Human Capital. Economics & Education, 6(4), 53–59. https://doi.org/10.30525/2500-946x/2021-4-8
Hidayat, M. T. (2024). English Language Proficiency and Career Opportunities: Perceptions of Indonesian University Graduates. Language Value, 17(1), 85–107. https://doi.org/10.6035/languagev.7933
Holborow, M. (2021). In Education and the Discourse of Global Neoliberalism. In Language skills as human capital? Challenging the neoliberal frame (pp. 50–62).
Isadaud, D., Fikri, M. D., & Bukhari, M. I. (2022). The urgency of English in the curriculum in Indonesia to prepare human resources for global competitiveness. DIAJAR: Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Pembelajaran, 1(1), 51–58. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.54259/diajar.v1i1.177
Karunaratne, S. K. (2014). Student perceptions on learning English for personal and career development. Academic Research Journal, 2(10), 250–256.
Lan, S. W. (2022). International students’ perceptions of multilingual English-medium instruction classrooms: a case study in Taiwan. Multilingua, 41(6), 717–742.
Lasagabaster, D. (2022). English-medium instruction in higher education. Cambridge University Press.
Li, M., & Pei, L. (2024). Exploring challenges in academic language-related skills of EFL learners in Chinese EMI settings. Acta Psychologica. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104309
Malokani, D. K. A. K., Kazi, S., Chandio, S. P., Mumtaz, S. N., Darazi, M. A., & Farooqui, N. S. (2023). The correlation between English language proficiency and perceived career opportunities’. Empirical Analysis. Remittances Review, 8(4), 4818–4827.
Naka, L., & Spahija, D. (2022). Impact of English language as a human capital in the higher education institutions’ development strategy. Corporate and Business Strategy Review, 3(2), 262–272.
Nurulhaq, G. H., Kurniawan, E., Hikmawan, I., & Ginanjar, R. (2024). The Teacher Community Role toward Teacher Professionalism on Designing EFL Instructional Objectives. Inspiring: English Education Journal, 140–162. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.35905/inspiring.v7i1.8940
Park, J. S. Y. (2011). The promise of English: Linguistic capital and the neoliberal worker in the South Korean job market. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 14(4), 443–455. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2011.573067
Peltokorpi, V. (2023). The “language” of career success: The effects of English language competence on local employees’ career outcomes in foreign subsidiaries. Journal of International Business Studies, 54(2), 258–284. https://doi.org/https://dx.doi.org/10.1057/s41267-022-00544-4
Rahman, F., & Saputra, N. (2021). English as International Language Revisited: Implications on South Korea’s ELT Context. Scope: Journal of English Language Teaching, 6(1), 08–15. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.30998/scope.v6i1.9383
Rahman, F. (2020). Bilingual Education vs English-only Approach at Australia’s Northern Territory Schools. REiLA : Journal of Research and Innovation in Language, 2(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/. https://doi.org/10.31849/reila.v2i1.3854
Rahman, F, & Yuzar, E. (2020). Students’ Perception Towards NNESTs & NESTs’ Teaching Styles: A study at State Islamic University of Ar-Raniry. IJELTAL (Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics), 4(2), 321. https://doi.org/10.21093/ijeltal.v4i2.516
Roberts, A. (2017). Is international law international?. Oxford University Press.
Rose, H., Macaro, E., Sahan, K., Aizawa, I., Zhou, S., & Wei, M. (2023). Defining English medium instruction: Striving for comparative equivalence. Language Teaching, 56(2), 539–550. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444821000483
Rumalessin, U. A. T., & Farah, R. R. (2021). Investigating the English needs of law department students in English for specific purposes. JEES (Journal of English Educators Society), 6(1), 126–132. https://doi.org/10.21070/jees.v6i1.1085
Salomone, R., & Salomone, R. C. (2022). The rise of English: Global politics and the power of language. Oxford University Press.
Sánchez-García, D. (2022). Internationalization through language and literacy in the Spanish-and English-medium education context. Integrating Content and Language in Multilingual Universities, 131–150. https://doi.org/https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46947-4_8
Tietze, S., Piekkari, R., & Brannen, M. Y. (2014). From standardisation to localisation: Developing a language-sensitive approach to IHRM. In In The routledge companion to international human resource management (pp. 482–495). Routledge.
Tsou, W. (2021). Translanguaging as a glocalized strategy for EMI in Asia. English-Medium Instruction Translanguaging Practices in Asia: Theories, Frameworks and Implementation in Higher Education, 3–17. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-3001-9_1
Wasfie, T., Kirkpatrick, H., Barber, K., Hella, J. R., Anderson, T., & Vogel, M. (2023). Longitudinal study of emotional intelligence, well-being, and burnout of surgical and medical residents. The American SurgeonTM, 89(7), 3077–3083. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/00031348231157813
Xu, J., & Hampden-, G. (2016). Cultural Reproduction , Cultural Mobility , Cultural Resources , or Trivial Effect ? A Comparative Approach to Cultural Capital and Educational Performance (Vol. 56, Issue 1, pp. 98–124). The University of Chicago Press on.
Yan, X., Chuang, P. L., & Zhang, C. (2024). Economic return of English language proficiency: Do English proficiency scores predict employee income in China?. STUDIES IN LANGUAGE, 13(1), 108.
Yasim, S., Paris, N., & Sabil, M. (2024). An Innovative Strategy in Learning English as A Foreign Language. Inspiring: English Education Journal, 7(2), 222–246. https://doi.org/10.35905/inspiring.v7i2.9049
Yuzar, E., Rahmiaty, R., & Rahman, F. (2022). Am I Being Rude”: Exploring Indonesian Students’ Intercultural Communicative Competence in Inner Circle Countries. Lingual: Journal of Language & Culture, 13(1), 18–27.
Yuzar, E. (2020). Incorporating Communicative Competence in Assessment and English Language Teaching in Multilingual Settings. Journal of Research and Innovation in Language, 2(1), 8–13. http://ojs.journal.unilak.ac.id/index.php/

