Non-native English-speaking Students Research Articles

Strategy Use by Nonnative English‐Speaking Students in an MBA Program: Not Business as Usual!

Despite the long‐standing interest in strategy use and language learning, little attention has been given to how social context may constrain or facilitate this use or the development of new strategies. Drawing on data from a longitudinal qualitative study, we discuss this issue in relation to the experiences of Chinese students from the People's Republic of China, who, following study in English for Academic Purposes courses, registered in a Masters in Business Administration program in a Canadian university. Specifically, we focus on how the contact with the native‐English‐speaking Canadian students mediated the Chinese students' strategy use in 3 domains: reading, class lectures, and team work. In contrast to the rather simplistic notion evoked in certain portrayals of the good language learner, strategy use as reported herein emerges as a complex, socially situated phenomenon, bound up with issues related to personal identity (Leki, 2001; Norton, 1997, 2000; Spack, 1997).

A Comparison of Native and Non-Native English-Speaking Groups' Understanding of the Vocabulary Contained within the 16PF (SA92)

Part of the qualitative phase of Abrahams and Mauer's (1999b) study was replicated at the University of Cape Town with both native English-speaking and non-native English-speaking students. Participants were required to provide synonyms for 135 words contained within the 16PF (SA92) in order to ascertain the extent of problems with the language in the test. When following Abrahams and Mauer's original methodology strictly, results seemed to indicate that both groups struggled with the language contained in the 16PF (SA92). However, less rigid marking, taking into account everyday usage of the words, showed that both groups did understand the words, although they were prevented from displaying this by the original restrictive method. It is suggested that more research be conducted with instruments such as the 16PF in order to obtain a fuller understanding of the extent to which language can affect scores obtained.

Teaching Non-English Speaking Students

They sit in the classroom, quiet and polite, waiting for you to speak. They look at you attentively when you do speak, but you have no idea if they understood anything you said. Then, after a slight pause, your interpreter steps in. He/she does his/her best to explain to the class what your thoughts, comments, and ideas consist of, however, you are not sure communication really occurred. This is the challenge of teaching to non-English speaking students. Typically these students are young adults learning English as a second language who have already attended some college in their home country. Here are some techniques that have helped me to successfully penetrate the cultural barrier and make the classroom experience more enjoyable and meaningful for all parties: Rely on Your Interpreter I have found it helpful to establish a relationship with the interpreter by allowing him or her to elaborate on your lecture. He/she can advise you when you give an example the students cannot relate to and suggest a better one. students can ask the interpreter for clarification if they do not feel comfortable speaking directly to the instructor. He/she can also explain cultural differences and thus avoid confusion and misunderstandings. It also works well to speak in simple words with short thought blocks rather than collegiate-level sentences. goal is to communicate, hot to confuse your students or your interpreter. One trick is to prepare your lecture notes a week ahead of schedule and share them with the interpreter. This gives him/her time to review the material and anticipate any trouble spots. Many topics and concepts in English do not have a direct translation, so the interpreter must use English which further slows the rate of understanding. Once I asked a student about how minorities were treated in his country. interpreter explained that the student had difficulty understanding the question, not because it was difficult, but because the class did not understand the concept of minorities. Language Barrier Is the Small Issue. Cultural Barrier Is the Big Issue. Although the language barrier can seem huge, the real barrier is cultural. Student names may be hard to remember and pronounce, but making the effort to do so, as well as learning a few words of their language, will help your relationship tremendously. class can be easily side-tracked due to a lack of cultural understanding. There will be times when the entire class must stop to discuss a cultural difference or misunderstanding before the actual lecture can continue. Traditions, food, clothing, religion, minority and women's roles, and laws are the most common points of confusion. Unfortunately, many individuals' concept of U.S. culture is formed from watching old television shows like Happy Days or The Dukes of Hazard. Often, this only serves to further exacerbate the cultural confusion. One student kept asking where he could purchase an American hat. Thinking he might mean a baseball cap, I suggested a sporting goods store. After further discussion, I realized he wanted a cowboy hat just like John Wayne wears. Classroom Pace and Feel One lesson I learned is to adjust my presentations to a slower classroom pace when working with non-English speaking students. When working with an interpreter, everything takes twice as long. It is important to be concise and precise, so as not to compromise content. However, it is still necessary to teach the entire subject. One solution is to arrive for class early and/or stay late after class, so students can ask questions one-on-one rather than using precious class time. Another approach is to use diagrams and pictures to demonstrate your points whenever possible. …

The social and cultural life of non-native English speaking international graduate students at a Canadian university

It is generally believed that international graduate students have difficulties adapting to a wide range of social and academic situations within the university community. This paper reports on an interview study that addresses the social and cultural life of 12 non-native English speaking (NNES) international graduate students in the following four aspects: (1) relationships with supervisors and instructors; (2) experiences as teaching assistants; (3) communication with colleagues and friends; and (4) social life. Results are illustrated with the students' own words. The findings indicate that student experiences are varied and the adaptation process depends on both internal and external factors. Many of the students we interviewed seemed very well adapted to the university life despite the fact that they had not made an intentional effort to contact native English speaking (NES) students. These students seemed to have learned about the host culture mostly through a network of students with similar cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Implications of the findings for effective communication in intercultural interactions among NNES and NES students, faculty and staff, and future research on intercultural adaptation are discussed.

Integrating Language and Content: How Three Biology Teachers Work with Non-English Speaking Students

Facing the rapidly increasing non-native English speaking students in public schools, all teachers are challenged by an urgent need for developing ways to make their instruction responsive to these students' needs. This article reports on a year long study on three biology teachers' language integrated biology teaching to non-native English speaking students. Using extensive classroom observations and interviews the study provides portraits of these three teachers' working with multilingual, multicultural, and multilevel students. The findings suggest that subject matter area teachers should and can extend their teaching competencies to be sensitive to these students' language and cultural needs and to integrate their instruction for the second language development with their curricular objectives.

Academic library usage: a comparison of native and non-native English-speaking students

A study was undertaken to compare native and non-native English-speaking university students with respect to how often they used their library and why, as well as to determine which group of students had the highest levels of library anxiety.

A Comparison of Native and Nonnative English Speaking Students as College Readers

This paper reports the results of a study which examined the reading habits of native-English and nonnative-English speaking undergraduate college students. One hundred and thirty (130) native and 114 nonnative students completed a reading habits questionnaire designed to yield information about several aspects of their reading habits. The results revealed significant differences between the two groups with regard to every measure of reading habits taken. In particular, results indicated that nonnative students read more widely, read for longer periods of time, and had higher perceptions of themselves as readers in their native language than did native-English speaking students. These findings are interpreted in light of current research on reading habits, attitudes, and interests. Implications for reading research and instruction are discussed.

The Trouble with Universalistic Solutions: Does One Size Really Fit All?

In his recent Insights piece, Aaron Wildavsky [1992] proposes a new, universalistic education policy to resolve two problems: conflicts spawned by creation of special bilingual classes for non-English-speaking students, and those students' need for help in learning English. His plan is to introduce a mandatory second language requirement for all elementary school students; he would also eliminate bilingual instruction and hope that non-Englishspeaking students learn in mainstream classes. The second language requirement would be enforced by making high school graduation conditional on a student's demonstration of competence in a language other than English. Wildavsky's proposal is based on insight that universalistic solutions differ dramatically from particularistic policies in their means, their ends, and in civic culture they embody. The idea of substituting universalistic solutions for particularistic ones is provocative, creative, and relevant to a wide range of policy topics. It deserves a careful assessment that focuses directly on major issues that it raises, and not simply a critical catalogue of mundane details that must be addressed before a major initiative can be carried out. I applaud Wildavsky's effort to deal with a thorny problem in a powerful new way. The flaws that I find in his proposal are due to its lack of fit with deeply rooted behaviors that policy analysis has repeatedly identified as central to functioning of education system. Policy debates often have their roots in disagreements over definition of problem that needs to be solved. Wildavsky argues that bilingual education, a policy intended to help non-English-speaking children learn English, can itself be seen as a problem, because of segregated, specialized classes that it creates. Yet this argument does not erase problem that led to spread of bilingual classes. For non-English-speaking children, their teachers, their future employers, and for society, children's inability to understand is problem that calls for solution. These divergent definitions of problem suggest that Wildavsky's proposal can be assessed in two very different ways: first, as an education policy whose likely effects should be evaluated, and second, as a conceptual lens focused on roles of universalism and particularism in a wide range of policy debates. Would a mandatory second language requirement for elementary school students help students with limited proficiency? Wildavsky's answer relies wholly on existence proof offered by the world-wide experience of children taking not much more than half a year to get hang of [new] language. While many non-English-speakers do indeed learn easily, many do not. It was this problem that led to development of instructional programs for non-English-speakers years ago. These include English for speakers of

The Ethnic Success Ethic Challenges Conventional Wisdom about Immigrant Disadvantages in Education

A research project for the Human Rights Commission using a non-random (quota) sample of seven high schools within metropolitan Melbourne during 1985–86 aimed to establish whether prejudice and discrimination were affecting the occupational socialisation of senior students. Three sources of possible discrimination were hypothesised: (a) the school curriculum, structure and organisation; (b) the dynamics of interactions between non-English-speaking (NES) and Anglo-Australian students; (c) the wider school context and community. Little evidence was found that systemic discrimination existed. Many teachers favoured NES (especially Asian) students for valued traits such as diligence, discipline, achievement orientation. Many Anglo-Australian students displayed prejudice towards NES students especially because they worked too hard and had ‘brains’. NES students were contemptuous of Anglo-Australians for lacking achievement motivation and parental support. Evidence was found that both ethnic groups and Anglo-Australians in the wider community discriminated against students in jobs. The study generated speculation about the influence of the ‘success ethic’ motivating NES students and used corroborative overseas and Australian evidence to suggest that the phenomenon may be ubiquitous in western societies.

Using Lecture Transcripts in EAP Lecture Comprehension Courses

Good lecture comprehension involves the interaction of the following skills: 1) the ability to synthesize discourse in order to extract relevant information, 2) the ability to predict future information, and 3) the ability to relate background knowledge to new information. Many non-native English-speaking students, who are competent listeners in their native languages, are not aware of the conventions and cues which signal important information in lectures delivered in a foreign language. This article will demonstrate how transcripts of academic lectures and pseudo-cloze exercises developed from these transcripts may be used to help foreign students to become aware of the skills involved in the process of listening to lectures. By making cues and conventions salient, these exercises give students confidence in their ability to listen selectively without attending to every word. The article begins with a discussion of several theories of discourse processing and follows with relevant examples of analyzed lecture discourse and suggested exercises for non-native speakers.

How to Begin Language Instruction for Non-English Speaking Students

How to Begin Language Instruction for Non-English Speaking Students

Bilingual Education in BIA Schools

Because of a persistent lack of success in enabling Indian students to equal the academic achievement of the general school population, the Bureau of Indian Affairs is taking a close look at bilingual programs and related research as a possible answer to retardation among their nonEnglish-speaking students. In this paper a brief survey of the history of bilingualism in the Bureau is presented which includes the program to promote native-tongue literacy, begun in the late 30's, and the Navajo Five-Year Program. Present day programs, such as those at the Rough Rock and Rock Point Schools, bilingual materials development, and projected projects, including a Navajo bilingual kindergarten program and a reading study similar to that carried out in Mexico by Nancy Modiano, are described.