Language and Content (Subject Matter) Challenges Experienced by Accountancy Students in Law Courses

Abstract

In many universities in Malaysia and abroad, various law courses are incorporated into the syllabus for non-law programmes such as accountancy. This paper examines the challenges experienced by accountancy students in a Malaysian university in relation to the English language (which is not the students’ fi rst language) as the medium of instruction and content of a company law course. Questionnaire surveys were administered to 215 students who were pursuing or had taken the company law course. In the context of language and content, the fi ndings revealed that more students experienced diffi culties understanding the text books and reference materials, rather than understanding lectures and tutorials. There are signifi cant positive correlations between content and language diffi culties encountered in relation to the topics covered in the law course. A majority of the students found reading law books boring and preferred courses involving calculations. While students agreed that the lecturers had made the law course easy to understand, they were of the view that simple reading materials and the use of technology could enhance their learning.