{"id":7878,"date":"2024-11-28T10:36:53","date_gmt":"2024-11-28T10:36:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.cardiff.ac.uk\/education-development-toolkit\/?page_id=7878"},"modified":"2024-12-19T20:15:34","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T20:15:34","slug":"linguistic-understanding","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.cardiff.ac.uk\/education-development-toolkit\/theme-overview\/inclusivity\/international-students\/linguistic-understanding\/","title":{"rendered":"Linguistic Understanding"},"content":{"rendered":" \n\n
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Design of Inclusivity Pages<\/h3>

All of the Inclusivity pages are designed following the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). You will find a combination of text, video and images, along with some points of reflection, practical examples and case studies.<\/p>\n

You can choose to read the text or access an audio recording of the same material. The recordings are at the bottom of each page. Alternatively you could use\u00a0the Microsoft Immersive Reader,<\/a> which has the ability to set preferences or use the 'read aloud' function .You can also attend a workshop on the topic.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div> \n\n \n

Not all international students will face a linguistic challenge, and some only to a lesser extent (Bell, 2016). However, for most international students, language proficiency is the biggest challenge when adjusting to UK university life (Sawir, 2005 and Burdett & Crossman ,2012).<\/p>\n

Key research on the role of linguistic proficiency and the challenges international students face, (Gatwiri G. 2015);<\/p>\n

There is a discourse about whether traditional standardised language tests and grammar methods inadequately prepare students (Wu and Hammond 2011). Even when students\u2019 English language skills are good when they arrive at university, they find that their linguistic proficiency is insufficient to cope with the demands of an English-speaking environment. Challenges also lie in the subtleties embraced by academic writing. The level of language competence to identify these differences and model them in their writing can be demanding. Reviewing sources for reliability and validity and the language used and context can be less accessible to students creating barriers for those students who are not English first language speakers. (Ramachandran 2011: Ecohard and Fatheringham 2017). It is not just the academic language proficiencies that can cause a challenge but the communication with native speakers and the pace of the speaker, dialect, accent, and use of idioms and metaphors that are culturally dependent can create a sense of isolation that can impact both academic and socio-cultural integration. (Wu and Hammad 2011, Akanwa 2015).<\/p>\n

Considerations need to be made about:
\n\u2022 How English was taught in the home country and to what level of acquisition, the application of informal English in the UK, the use of idioms, metaphors, and culturally specific references, and lastly the specific academic language associated with the discipline.
\n\u2022 Whether the student has learned English from a native English speaker or someone who has English as an additional language (Ramachandran 2011).<\/p>\n

Many nuanced factors contribute to how a student acquires language and it would be unrealistic to expect international students to arrive in the UK using fluent English, and a knowledge of contextual references, metaphors, and idioms to communicate effectively (Echochard and Fotheringham 2017). This view undermines the complex nature of applied linguistics and acquiring another language. Many international students choose to study in the UK as they understand the value of immersing themselves in the language to improve their linguistic ability. Therefore, it is important to acknowledge the challenge of linguistic proficiency and be mindful of its impact on the learning environment.<\/p>\n \n\n

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Top tips:<\/h3>