INTERNATIONALISATION OF HOME (IOH) - A CURRENT CHALLENGE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION IN NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES – STU MTF STUDENTS’ READINESS FOR ENGLISH EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriela Chmelikova ◽  
Ľudmila Hurajová
Author(s):  
Ľudmila Hurajová

Current challenges and issues are so complex that without a close, interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary cooperation it is very difficult or even impossible to solve and find innovative approaches to them. We are living in the era of big data, artificial intelligence and also virtual reality which are changing the paradigm of all our living including education. As far as communication within multidisciplinary and multinational working teams is concerned, English has become a preferable language that is used worldwide including academia and research. In non-English speaking countries Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have faced very similar challenge how to foster establishing English Education Environment (EEE). Most of their students speak different language and their level of English competence differs. Likewise, disciplinary teachers’ (DTs’) English competence and readiness to teach their courses in English vary. This contribution describes the project (Visegrad+) of HEIs from Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Albania and Serbia, intended to study if Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) and close cooperation between ESP/CLIL experts and DTs can result in effective English learning-teaching environment. The main project outcome – web platform for ESP/ CLIL and DTs communities is presented. Finally, as far as interdisciplinary teacher cooperation is concerned, some observations during COVID19 pandemic are illustrated. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 710-725
Author(s):  
Amrina Rosyada ◽  
Hanna Sundari

Learning academic writing seems to be a great challenge for most English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students in non-native English-speaking countries, including in Indonesia. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the issue appears to be more challenging where teachers are persuaded to learn from their home environment (LHE). Several online applications are freely available, and one of the most common applications is Google Classroom. However, the use of such application towards the students’ performance and perception remains understudied. This research aimed at exploring the practices of Google Classroom in facilitating the Academic Writing course of EFL undergraduates. Engaged by 96 participants of third-year students in the English Education Program, the research conducted an explanatory sequential research design by correlating the results data on writing assignments and a set of questionnaires. The findings indicated a significant correlation between using Google Classroom and the students’ writing performance. Moreover, most students expressed their satisfaction with Google Classroom’s practical features to get involved in the academic writing course. The students were satisfied with Google Classroom’s features that were easy to be recognized and easy to be operated. The Google Classroom features also provide clear instructions, practical directions, and the most valuable feature, that is assignment reminders for the students. It can be said that using Google Classroom in the EFL academic writing course at higher education is a great experience and brings great advantages to students’ outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 11-28
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Meyers

Although theological libraries in the United States serve speakers of many languages, they exist in a higher education environment where linguistic diversity is often absent from conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion. This article argues for the importance of linguistically diverse library collections, surveys the state of holdings and acquisitions today, reports the results of a study of student, alumni, and faculty perceptions of their schools’ support for multilingual and non-English speaking students, examines the barriers to adequate non-English acquisitions, and proposes actions and strategies to improve access to non-English materials.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Maziyyatul Muslimah

Pedagogically, students will gain more when they engage in a discussion actively rather than as passive observers. Therefore, active participation in class is a prominent aspect of enhancing students’ competencies. Additionally, there are several studies of personality traits and gender differences proven to influence students’ participation, which encourage the author to observe the relationship between students’ speaking participation, personality traits, and gender differences. The author also investigated other factors that influence students’ participation in classroom discussions based on the students’ perspectives. Using mixed methods empirical research, the results of this study reveal that introverted students have a slightly higher participation rate than extroverted students which contradicts findings of some previous research. Meanwhile, investigation of gender shows that the average of male students’ speaking participation is relatively higher than females. Further investigation of factors that possibly influence students’ engagement indicates a strong relationship between English education background and students’ speaking participation. Thesee findings are expected to contribute to the literature for higher education researchers interested in understanding factors influencing students’ participation and as a consideration for higher education practitioners to enhance students’ engagement in class activities.   Key Words: English, speaking, participation, personality, gender, university, Indonesia


Author(s):  
Shane Pachagadu ◽  
Liezel Nel

Numerous studies have explored the potential of podcast integration in teaching and learning environments. This paper first presents and organises perspectives from literature in a conceptual framework for the effective integration of podcasting in higher education. An empirical study is then discussed in which the guidelines presented in the framework were evaluated for applicability in a selected course at a South African University of Technology. Since the results of the study revealed a number of aspects not accounted for in the conceptual framework, the framework was customised to make it more applicable for the particular higher education environment. The customised framework identifies four principles and a series of related guidelines for the effective integration of podcasts in a South African higher education teaching and learning environment. This framework can become a valuable resource for effective podcast integration in similar environments.


Author(s):  
Marry Mdakane ◽  
Christo J. Els ◽  
A. Seugnet Blignaut

Student satisfaction, as a key psychological-affective outcome of tertiary education, is a direct measure of the success of Open Distance Learning (ODL). It is therefore vital for ODL Higher Education Institutions to assess and improve student satisfaction constantly. Existing theories on student satisfaction are mostly derived from deductive research, i.e. from research that considers the existing body of knowledge, followed by an investigation of a specific aspect or component, in order to reach a specific conclusion. We, however, maintain the inductive stance that a research framework for student satisfaction in ODL should be derived from students themselves. Accordingly, we purposively collected qualitative data from N=34 South African postgraduate ODL students, representative of various cultural language groups, with regard to student satisfaction. Supported by Atlas.ti, we composed an integrated dataset comprised of students’ responses to two focus-group interviews, as well as students’ written narratives in response to qualitative questions. Through meticulous qualitative data-analysis, we detected data categories, sub-categories, patterns and regularities in the integrated dataset. Theories and findings from the existing corpus of knowledge pertaining to student satisfaction in ODL illuminated our qualitative findings. This paper reports on the knowledge we gained from our participants pertaining to their student satisfaction with the Higher Education (HE) environment, the first of three main research components of an inductively derived research framework for student satisfaction in ODL.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christiane Horwood ◽  
Sphindile Mapumulo ◽  
Lyn Haskins ◽  
Vaughn John ◽  
Silondile Luthuli ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Globally, increasing numbers of higher education institutions (HEIs) in non-English-speaking countries have adopted English as a medium of instruction (EMI), because of the perception that this provides opportunities to attract high-calibre students and academic staff, and engage with the international research community. We report an evaluation of a North–South-South collaboration to develop health research capacity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by establishing a postgraduate programme in nutritional epidemiology at the Kinshasa School of Public Health (KSPH), where EMI was adopted. We report experiences and perceptions of stakeholders, facilitators and students about using EMI. Methods In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted between October and December 2019 among convenience sampled stakeholders (8), facilitators (11) and students (12) involved in the programme from all three partner institutions (University of Kinshasa; University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa; University of Bergen, Norway). Interviews were conducted in participants’ language of preference (English or French), audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and translated into English when required. Analysis employed a thematic approach. Results Most participants viewed EMI positively, reporting that studying in English created opportunities to access relevant literature, improve interactions with the scientific community and advance their careers. As a result of adopting EMI, some students had opportunities to present research findings at international conferences and publish their research in English. English-speaking researchers from partner institutions were able to participate in supervision of students’ research. However, inadequate English competency, particularly among students, was challenging, with some students reporting being unable to understand or interact in class, which negatively affected their academic performance. Further, EMI created barriers at KSPH among academic staff who were not proficient in English, leading to poor participation among non-English-speaking staff and lack of integration with other postgraduate programmes. Participants suggested additional English language support for EMI. Conclusion Partnerships between HEIs could be a powerful tool to develop research capacity in low-income countries in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. EMI could be a solution to language barriers faced by many such partnerships, but wide-ranging support to develop English proficiency among staff and students is essential to ensure that the challenges do not outweigh the benefits.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document