Interventions to improve undergraduate communication with international instructors

Abstract

U.S. undergraduates (USUGs) have negative biases toward non-native speaking (NNS) instructors like international teaching assistants (ITAs), which can lower student comprehension and ITAs’ course evaluations (Rubin & Kang 2009). Our long-term collaboration seeks to improve attitudes and intelligibility so USUGs may assume more of the communicative burden with NNSs. We are piloting multiple activities (“interventions”) in various university courses, including accent familiarization, non-English transcription, oral English proficiency scoring, and live or simulated USUG-NNS contact. Outcomes are measured qualitatively (e.g., written reflections) and quantitatively through USUG pre- and post-test intelligibility tasks and “first impression” teaching and personality ratings after listening to audio clips of unfamiliar ITAs. We compare the most and least promising interventions for improving intelligibility and attitudes as measured by these auditory tasks (three semesters, N > 750 students, 6 intervention types + controls). Analysis is ongoing, but in the pilot cohort (N = 117), longer, more involved interventions trended toward higher intelligibility scores and improved overt attitudes, although covert attitudes remained stable. Time permitting, we can also discuss practicalities of implementing such anti-racism interventions into existing courses (instructor buy-in, ITA cooperation, student compliance, etc.).