Academic Differences in Non Native Students - Essay Example

Academic Differences in Non-Native When a from another country embarks on a quest for education in a country that is not their own, there are many challenges they will encounter. Some of these challenges are cultural while others are academic. These challenges are important to understand so that the non-native student can find a more comfortable way to approach their studies in the new country. When first approaching this topic, it is important to understand that cultures are different. The Western culture is very different from the Eastern one and this means that perceptions of what is important will be different. As an example, Chinese students have a high respect for their teachers. They are not to question them or in other ways antagonize them because the teacher is the ultimate authority (Flowerdew and Miller 1996). This can be a problem for teachers in the West if they do not know this about Chinese people. This can also be a problem for the Chinese student in the Western classroom because when the teacher asks them to answer a question in class, it can be difficult and sometimes frustrating for the student and the teacher. Another challenge that non-native speakers can have is understanding their textbooks. In many situations, Western textbooks are used and often the lecturer does not use examples from the students culture. In this case, the student has no way to relate to the particular lesson. Flowerdew and Lindsay also point out that many non-native students have challenges understanding the material at a conceptual and linguistic level. They encourage lecturers to adapt their materials to their audience. They can do this by "adjusting their language and by simplifying and adapting what was in the set text" (126). It is important to also understand that non-English speaking students can have challenges that native English lecturers or professors may not understand at first. Robert Berman and Liying Cheng studied the perceived difficulties that graduate students had in moving towards their academic achievement. They found that both graduate and undergraduate students felt they had the most problems with understanding and speaking the language and that listening was easier than reading, writing or speaking in a different language (2000 28). They also found that the GPAs of these students suffered somewhat when they did not understand the language. In general, the non-native speakers who were in graduate school did better than those who were in undergrad. The difference between undergraduate and graduate could be that the graduate students have used the language longer and are used to working within this type of environment. In most academic environments in Western universities, there is a need for social interaction. Johanne Myles and Liying Cheng found that one of the major issues with socializing is "to become acculturated into a new academic and cultural community" (248). This means that in addition to the academic challenges, they also are under pressure from their countries to do a good job. Many students have received scholarships or they have jobs in their own companies that are important to their academic performance. Socially they may feel isolated, they may have challenges with finances and family support (Myles and Cheng 2003). Many of the students that Myles and Cheng interviewed had difficulty defining concepts that were easy for Western students. As an example, many had difficulty developing self-reliance, understanding intellectual property and understanding that they had a right to refuse any request in which they were not comfortable. American students, or students who are native speakers of the language understand that these things exist and they understand how to work within the system. In order to understand the system, they must engage in communication. As Myles and Cheng state, "it is only through communication that strangers can come to learn the significant symbols of the host culture, and thereby to organize their own and others activities successfully" (249). In order for social adjustment to take place, it is important of non-Native speakers to be willing to talk to native speakers and to be the first ones to communicate in some situations. As the non-Native speaker begins to interact, they are able to understand how to move around the university in a more effective way. In a study done by Stephen Evans and Christopher Green the practicality of learning English for academic purposes (EAP) was reviewed. Many people may think that learning English would be necessary before someone could begin to go to school in a Western university or one that was mostly English speaking, but the research showed that this is not necessarily mandatory for everyone. In fact, they found that although those interviewed recognised that they should have proficiency in English, the way they received this varied "according to proficiency level, discipline and year of study" (5). The study suggested that those students who were considered "less proficient" were the ones who said that English classes were more important to them. In a larger study that Evans and Green quoted, a primary concern for students and teachers was academic writing, speaking and reading. The major challenges that students had was with "grammar and vocabulary both in terms of accuracy and range" (6). Which meant that a large body of students have difficulty meeting the demands of English speaking universities which can be specifically related to the differences in culture. The issue of difficulties in academic writing go straight to another issue: that of plagiarism. Most universities have a stringent policy against plagiarism in any form. They first define this term for students and then expect them to be able to refrain from it. The challenge is that when an individual does not understand academic writing, they will not understand plagiarism and how to avoid it. John Flowerdew and Yongyan Li studied the idea of plagiarism and writing in a second language because they saw that this was a problem that was increasing. In most cases, if a student is "caught" plagiarising, there are negative consequences. However, the concept of plagiarism is often difficult to understand because it is subjective in the face of the typical university student. Flowerdew and Lis work shows the discrepancies in this concept and suggests that there are other ways to look at it. As an example, they suggest that cultures can differ in what they see as plagiarism. In many cases students have not experienced this concept in other academic work and when they get to the Western concept of plagiarism, they do not understand it. These researchers suggest that many factors should be observed when plagiarism is suspected, like the students skills or lack of them. These factors may be more important to address in order to help non-native students instead of punishing them. 1. HOW STUDENTS CAN DEAL WITH THESE CHALLENGES There are many ways that students can prepare for these challenges as they move forward in their academic lives. They can find out about the policies of the university well ahead of time so they can understand the concepts they will be working within. They can also begin to communicate with professors, lecturers or tutors as they go through their college courses. Myles and Cheng also suggest that students should also develop an apprenticeship type approach with their instructors because this has helped many graduate students stay successful. If they get to know their professors and others that are responsible for helping to define their academic success, they can get more comfortable asking them for assistance. 1. 2 HOW TEACHERS CAN HELP Researchers have interviewed many students and have given guidelines for them to help their non-native students. Some of the recommendations include: 1. Understand the "audience" and adapt materials to become more culturally relevant to all students. 2. Make a conscious effort to learn more about the student and their culture. 3. (Myles and Cheng 2003). It is clear from this information that non-native students and teachers need to work together in order for these students to be successful. Works Cited Berman, Robert and Liying, Cheng. "English Academic Language Skills: Perceived Difficulties By Undergraduate and Graduate Students, and Their Academic Achievement". [NEED REST OF CITATION]. Evans, Stephen and Green, Christopher. "Why EAP is Necessary: A Survey Of Hong Kong Tertiary Students". Journal of English for Academic Purposes. 6 (2007): 3-17. Online. DOI: 10.1016/j.jeap.2006.11.005. Flowerdew, John. And Li, Yongyan. "Plagiarism snd Second Language Writing in an Electronic Age". Annual Review of Applied Linguistics. 27, (2007): 161-183. Online. DOI: 10.1017/S0267190508070086. Flowerdew, John and Miller, Lindsay. "Lectures in a Second Language: Notes Towards a Cultural Grammar. English for Specific Purposes, 15, 2 (1996): 121-140. Myles, Johanne and Liying, Cheng. The social and cultural life of non-native English speaking international graduate students at a Canadian university. Journal of English for Academic Purposes. 2 (2003). 247-263. Online. DOI: 10.1016/S1475-1585(03)00028-6. Read More