Formal Qualifications for Language Tutors in Higher Education: A Case For Discussion

Abstract

There is clear evidence that increasing numbers of deaf students are now beginning to enter higher education (<uri>http://www.natdisteam.ac.uk</uri>). However, it is also evident that many of these students enter university presenting at below national norms in terms of their literacy. In short, many pre-lingual deaf students face an incredible language barrier struggling to understand textual material and complete course assignments. For this reason, many deaf students are supported individually by language tutors (LTs) whose role includes helping students prepare for assignments, assisting with planning and organisation of projects, advising students about the presentation of written work, and modifying the language of course materials, examinations and assignment briefs where appropriate. This paper describes the results of a qualitative study designed to investigate the working practices of LTs in one university, in order to provide recommendations for professional practice and prompt the development of qualifications in this field. Using a case study research strategy, questionnaires, in-depth interviews, videoed observations, examples of student work and written critical incident diaries were employed to unpack and explore what makes good language support for deaf students. Several themes emerged from analysis of the data; these will be outlined for discussion. The findings are offered as an insight into the skills required for language tutoring, and provide a case for recommending the development of formal qualifications for LTs supporting deaf students in the higher education sector. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.