Best Practice when Lecturing to International Students

Marie Ainslie, Lesley Edmondson & Lorraine Pickett-Rose

‘I was completely lost until the 2nd semester. I didn’t know where he was coming from – what I was doing and why I was doing this unit. I hadn’t got a clue – it was terrifying’ (Greek, postgraduate)

‘The stuff he’s covering is relevant, but the way he gives the lecture we find it hard to understand’ (Japanese, postgraduate)

‘They don’t understand how lost you can be and how much you don’t understand.’ (Greek, postgraduate)

Background to the Study

• Initial observation of lectures and questionnaires

• Focus groups

Participant Profile

• 53 students • 33 postgraduates - 20 undergraduates• 50% of all students have been in the UK for

less than a year• Others range from 1 year – 9 years• Majority of students studying a business

related subject

Nationalities of studentsNo of Students of different Nationalities

1 1

25

1112

5

1

1

1

1

12

1

1 31 1 1

Barbadian

Brazilian

Chinese

Cypriot

Czech

Dutch

French

Greek

Italian

Japanese

Malaysian

Myanmar

Omani

Saudi

Spanish

Taiwanese

Thai

Turkish

Vietnamese

Zambian

The main concerns arising from student comments

• Use of specialist vocabulary• Delivery• Use of visual aids• Use of examples• Format of the lecture – length, organisation• Lecturing style

Use of specialist vocabulary

‘The lecturer was so confident…talking about NVQs/GNVQs and I was completely lost until the second semester’ (Greek, postgraduate)

‘ Translation is more complex in China. One sentence can be translated into many different things. Some concepts in UK & HK have different definitions’ (Chinese, postgraduate)

Student recommendations

• Reduce the amount of specialist vocabulary at the beginning of a unit

• Give vocabulary lists & meanings in advance• Give vocabulary for students to check for

themselves

• Run special induction courses for international students to check the understanding of key concepts

Delivery

‘When they talk fast, it’s hard to understand’ (Cypriot, postgraduate)

‘Voice is flat. He doesn’t emphasise anything. It seems like everything is the same’ (Japanese, postgraduate)

Student recommendations

• Slow down

• Use your voice to emphasise important points

• Repeat key points and summarise

• “There is a Portuguese saying ‘Explain it slowly to be understood quickly’. It sums it up”

Use of Visual Aids

‘Sometimes our lecturer gives us a big diagram and there are lots of links to this and that. We just keep writing but we don’t understand’ (Taiwanese, postgraduate)

‘When we have a class and we don’t have a handout before the lecture. It’s hard to just write and listen at the same time’ (Cypriot, postgraduate)

Student recommendations

• Don’t make visuals too complicated & give students time to absorb the information in a diagram & make notes

• Don’t simply read what is on the slide – explain & discuss, use examples & fewer slides

Use of Examples

‘ Use less TV examples. Some international students don’t watch TV’ (Myanamar, undergraduate)

‘Most examples seem to be European. We don’t know them’ (Chinese, undergraduate)

‘If tutor gives examples it’s easier.Tutors fit too much in one hour and go too fast. One hour is enough but we need clearer examples’ (Chinese, undergraduate)

Student recommendations

• Apply theory to real-life examples

• Use global examples that are not culturally biased

Format of the Lecture

‘Some interesting lectures can last one hour. More than one hour is too long’ (Chinese, postgraduate)

‘3 hour lecture and sometimes the lecturer nearly forgets the break. My concentration goes’ (Vietnamese, postgraduate)

Student recommendations

• Don’t try to fit too much information into one lecture otherwise it’s rushed and students don’t understand

• Involve the students - ask questions & allow students to ask questions- encourage students to give their own examples

Further student recommendations

• Give out handouts with room for notes• Give out handouts before the lecture• Give all the handouts in a booklet at the start

of the unit• Give students time to make notes• Put (simple) supplementary materials on the

intranet• Record lectures & put them on the intranet for

viewing later

• Explain specialist terminology and any acronyms in the lecture

• Use pictures/images for interest & understanding

• Use short, simple sentences on slides