Perceptions of International Students on Academic Literacy Focusing on Speaking and Listening Skills in Malaysia

Abstract

Enquiring international students’ perceptions of academic literacy in English language is very crucial where there are different languages and also where English language is a medium of instruction. This paper investigated academic literacy focusing on speaking and listening ability of international students in Malaysia involving Power Point Presentation (PPP). In addition, this research explored perceptions of international students in Malaysia with regards to their way of speaking and listening in PPP. Questionnaires and interviews were applied to gather and validate data from 30 MA and PhD international students. The results revealed that more than 80% of the international students had problems in applying the appropriate speaking and listening skills and more than 90% agreed that language proficiency was a key to effective presenting. Based on the descriptive analysis, pronunciation and voice quality were essential requirements for PPP. Effect of mother tongue, culture shock due to new environment, pronunciation and accent were their basic problems.