ERIC Number: EJ1111863
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1535-0517
EISSN: N/A
Closing the Communication Gap between Undergraduates and International Faculty
Villarreal, Dan
CATESOL Journal, v24 n1 p8-28 2012-2013
This mixed-method study addressed the "foreign TA problem," reconceptualizing it as the "communication gap," an issue created by multiple parties--including bias originating from undergraduates. Experimental sessions measured undergraduates' comprehension of 2 brief lessons taught by an international professor. Between lessons, participants completed 1 of 3 short modules: a bias-stimulation module, a control module, or a linguistic-training module (which confronted both accent misunderstanding and accent bias). While training did not affect comprehension, questionnaire responses revealed a positive effect of training on sociolinguistic attitudes. Follow-up discussion sessions explored undergraduates' experiences with international faculty and responses to the communication gap. Several important themes emerged from these discussions, including effects on academic plans, negative cognitive effects, and a model of undergraduates' socialization into accent bias. The article concludes with recommendations specifically geared toward TESOL professionals' ongoing efforts to close the communication gap, including a greater recognition of undergraduates' role in perpetuating the gap.
Descriptors: Undergraduate Students, College Faculty, Teacher Student Relationship, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Pronunciation, Models, Language Teachers, Mixed Methods Research, Socialization, Foreign Nationals, Questionnaires, Language Attitudes, Student Attitudes, Student Role, Indians, Communication Problems
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A