Abstract
High level oral and aural language skills are needed to participate with native speakers in class discussions. This study reveals the findings from interview research where the researcher reports on the EFL graduate students’ expressions of the particular difficulties and challenges in their academic programs needed to satisfy the oral skills based academic requirements for both male and female interviewees. 21 students from various graduate programs participated in this study. This study shows the EFL students’ low satisfaction with their infrequent participation in the group discussion environment. EFL students tend to prefer small group discussions because they can participate in class discussion with less anxiety without being forced to compete within a larger group of native speakers. When EFL students participate in class discussion, insufficient content knowledge is a key issue which for most EFL students serves only to inhibit their active participation in class discussion. The amount of reading a student does to build a pre-class knowledge base for a given topic or issue insures a higher frequency of participation in class discussion.
1. Introduction
Many EFL students come to America with high expectations and a driving desire to fulfill their academic goals despite difficult language barriers. Realistically, EFL students not only need to overcome the challenge of their second language in order to meet the U.S. academic requirements, but also must understand the cultural education system when they step into the U.S. class environment. One of the crucial obstacles for EFL students’ academic success is oral/aural skill for class participation. Speaking and listening skills block their enthusiasm and motivation to achieve their academic goals. Preparation for required speaking involvement in the classroom is much longer and complex for the EFL students. Oral participation and the contribution of ideas involve not only information to be disseminated, but diligent practice for presenting the contribution in an easily understood oral manner. This process assures extra hours of preparation and creates great stress for the students as they seek to compile information, practice presenting information and remain a contributing student in class through reading and research.
Ferris’s (1988) survey, an analysis of the language needs of ESL university students in America, found that a large percentage (65-75%) of students responded as having struggles with class discussion participation. My study shows the voices of EFL Asian students in their oral/aural class discussion participation with students’ expressions of their own opinions and thoughts as to how they see themselves speaking and listening in the classroom.
2. Research Background and Inquiry
Ferris (1998) examined the ESL students’ perceptions of their own oral/aural skills in their class and their struggles to meet the challenges of oral/aural tasks and skills in academic settings. L2 students expressed their inhibition in class participation due to a general lack of confidence in their speaking skills (Ferris, 1998). Academic listening and speaking skills represent a complex and problematic task for L2 students.
For ESL students, L2 is not a comfortable language even though they have lived in the culture and have attended school in the U.S. These ESL students still feel that small group discussion and graded group projects in the L2 classroom generate much discomfort and many challenges in their general education program as well (Ferris & Tagg, 1996).
Based on Ferris’s research, I approached this study of academic oral/aural skills in class discussion participation using Asian non-native English speakers. I assumed that the interview would produce similar results concerning L2 students and their difficulties and problems with speaking and listening in the classroom. I wondered how these problems related directly to success in the classroom and to achieving their academic goals. Listening to their willingness to respond with honesty and openness to the interviewer’s questions quickly illustrated their struggles and difficulties in pursuing their academic tasks to complete their personal academic goals in the L2 class settings.
The aim of this study is to compare the responses of Asian EFL students and their difficulties related to their speaking and listening skills as they orally participate in an academic graduate school setting to Ferris’s research data.
The main questions that guided this interview are the following.
- How often do ESL students participate in class discussion?
- Does the size of the group matter?
- What personal attitudes contributed to discussion participation?
- What were their own difficulties in meeting these requirements?
- What differences exist between L2 and L1 class settings in their oral/aural class participation?
This interview was limited to interviewees on only one university campus. Because the data being gathered was from a small number of graduate students on campus, qualitative comparisons between other groups of students are not possible.
3. Method
3.1. Participants
The interview respondents were enrolled in various graduate schools at a large northeastern university in America. I chose to interview students only in the graduate level programs who had met the school admission requirements for international students. Admission criteria required a certain score on the TOEFL that assumed the students would have sufficient language proficiency in L2 to meet the subject-matter course requirements.
The interviewees were limited to international students from one of the Asian countries. Their native languages were Japanese, Thai, Chinese and Korean. 17 female and 4 male interviewees agreed to my request for an interview. Their length of residence in the U.S. was between 1 year and 3 years. The majority of students, 14 out of 21, are majoring in English. The others have majors in business, chemistry, education, and physics.
3.2. Course overview
Before the interview, I determined my interviewees by the courses which they had previously taken or were presently taking. This question helped me to know the number of international students in each course. I also asked if the interviewees felt the oral class discussion had affected their course grade, and whether the course had either whole or small group discussion, or both methods within the one specific course.
The size of the class about which they responded had from 15 to 20 students. The largest class was a business class and the smallest class was a science class. There were about 5 to 10 L2 students in the class with 15 to 20 students. The L2 students were the majority in the business and science classes. All interviewees answered that participation in class discussion, both whole and small group, was counted as part of their course grade.
3.3. Data collection and analysis
I asked interviewees’ L1 language group and nationalities prior to the interview. Permission to audio-tape each interviewee was requested. If it would make the interviewee uncomfortable to be recorded, they had the option to say no. All agreed to have their interview audio-taped. I chose not to record some parts of the interview while challenging the interviewees to use a conversational approach to the interview. The interview took place during the summer session of 2003 and the interviewees were graduate students enrolled in summer classes.
After the interview, I transcribed the interview without changing the grammatical errors or adding words to make a complete sentence. The next step was to offer the transcript to each interviewee. Each student looked over his or her interview transcript. I allowed each interviewee an opportunity to revise their interview. The interviewee also corrected parts of the taped interview transcript where the meaning was unclear due to the students’ unique accent or type of pronunciation.
The interview transcript was then examined. Differences and similarities with prior research were analyzed in order to find the L2 students’ developmental needs in oral/aural skills in the U.S. class setting.
4. Results and Implications
4.1. Low satisfaction with participation in class discussion
Not many interviewees evaluated themselves as an active oral class participant. Only 5 out of 21 interview participants stated that they always speak out whether in the whole or small group class discussion. A large number of interviewees usually tried to be involved in the discussion as long as they understood the issue under discussion. This also indicates that the interviewees feel that they do not have enough understanding of content material in order to participate in the discussion. Ferris (1998) stated that instructors did not fully understand whether ESL students have or have not had to struggle to understand the content of the subject matter. Whereas, the comments of instructors indicated that the different cultural expectations cause ESL students trouble in class participation, ESL students felt the problem of class participation was from their lack of speaking ability and aural comprehension (Ferris, 1998). Many of the interviewees see content knowledge as one of the hurdles inhibiting their oral participation in class discussion (personal interview, June, 2003).
Korean: I don’t want make a mistake in my speaking or I don’t want just say and … because sometimes I don’t understand the reading … because I had no idea how to discuss … because as I said maybe I don’t understand the content … so unless I don’t understand I don’t want to ask.
Chinese: This topic is … I think … it’s very difficult for me … sometimes I just listen because I don’t know … what can I say? That’s the point.
Thai: First of all we have to read and we have to understand the chapters in order to analysis or discuss the point but I usually have problem reading. I don’t understand clearly every time when I read and when I come to class I am still confused.
Thai: I mean being lack of knowledge.
Chinese: If I know the class a lot or the textbook a lot and the … I will participate a lot but I don’t … I just sometimes I keep quiet in the class.
Japanese: I don’t have any background about this series so I really … many times … I really don’t understand what he talks about and what they talk about.
However, some of the interviewed students indicated that the interest level and the personal relatedness of the topic served as an accelerator for encouraging participation in the oral discussion (personal interview, June, 2003).
Japanese: If the chapters, if the readings very interesting for me and fit for my teaching settings, I want to participating in discussion. I want to share my knowledge and my experiences with my colleagues and for me as a chance to speak up in discussion. Chinese: If the topic unfamiliar … I am interested … I try to participate.
Thus, lack of participation in class discussion by L2 students suggests that they have reading difficulties prior to class discussion. Interest, however, was also a factor to participate in discussion. The class discussion difficulties of the L2 students are not only in the form or constructs of speaking but may begin earlier during the gathering of information from given reading materials. To be an active and consistent participant in class discussions implies that ESL students need to be engaged in in-depth reading before getting into the class discussion.
4.2 L2 students’ lack of English proficiency inhibits class discussion participation
In prior research, Ferris (1998) pointed out that class participation and interaction with English native speakers are barriers to overcome in the L2 class because of a general lack of confidence in the students’ L2 speaking and listening skills. Throughout the interview process almost all of the interviewees expressed that their English proficiency was lacking regardless of the graduate student status showing their English proficiency was strong enough to amply qualify them to meet graduate school admission requirements (personal interview, June, 2003). Speaking ability and aural comprehension can inhibit learning achievement when L2 students do not have confidence in their class participation (Ferris, 1998).
Korean: If I have good, better proficiency of English, it is true … yeah …involve the group discussion or whole group discussion more …whenever discussion I felt depressed.
Korean: Because of my confidence that means language … what if they don’t understand my English … I don’t understand what’s going on …that’s listening problem so that I don’t know how to response.
Thai: I have no confidence.
Thai: It’s my language proficiency … if you are too quiet because of our language proficiency, our speaking.
Japanese: It’s very hard for me … I want to concentrate on listening … I am so stressful. Korean: Because English is my second language and then I feel uncomfortable when I speak in English specially in class and I always feel that my English makes people awkward … my English is confusing people sometimes … I am sure that … I feel … I am not sure that my English is correct or not.
Other concerns mentioned by L2 students in Ferris’s survey and my interviewees were class discussion participation difficulties arising when the professor or English native speakers mumbled, used slang, other unfamiliar vocabulary, and spoke too fast (Ferris, 1998).
Japanese: Native students talk very fast … sometimes … I don’t understand what they talk about so … I have to always pay attention to them but impossible always.
Chinese: I can not understand the native speakers … I just can not catch their pace.
Korean: I can not understand what the native speakers speak sometime they speak very fast and they usually use slang, idioms.
As I interviewed these L2 students, I understood how their perception of their English ability inhibits oral participation in class discussion. Even though their academic non-verbal learning process may be good and actually help their language learning process, their speaking skill development may often lag behind because of their cultural inhibitions.
4.3. L2 students prefer small group discussion
Most of my interview participants expressed that being an L2 student had lowered their frequency of class participation. However, when asked their preference between whole and small group discussion, 19 out of 21 participants mentioned they like to be engaged in small group discussion. They pointed out that in a small group discussion; they have more opportunities to share their ideas (personal interview, June, 2003).
Thai: I like discussion in small group all the time because in a small group I can talk and my peers listen to me and they can ask me questions … it’s more interactive for me. Korean: You have more opportunity … I think they are more open.
Chinese: I prefer a small group discussion because in small group discussion people question will more specific.
Another benefit of a small group is the supporting bridge of personal relationships which further encourages participation in a small group. Many of the interviewees responded positively to the environment of a small group. The comfort and group support of the small group encouraged the frequency of their oral participation (personal interview, June, 2003).
Thai: I think it’s more comfortable because I think it’s easier to participate to speak out.
Korean: I don’t like to say something in front of people … small group is more comfortable.
Japanese: In the small group discussion I feel kind of security feeling.
Chinese: I feel more comfortable in small group.
Thus, I noticed that many L2 students were not comfortable speaking out in the total class, not just because of their speaking skill but also because of limited experience in discussion participation. Basturkmen (2002) stated that academic speaking is complex and indirect because it includes the speaker as well as the participants in public.
4.4. Cultural background inhibits L2 students’ class discussion participation
A number of interviewees mentioned that their cultural educational background blocks class discussion participation which affects their L2 performance in class. For example, in Thailand, there is almost no class discussion. Students tend not to answer the professors’ questions or raise a question because they worry about a potential difference of opinion with their professors. A Thai native speaker expressed that if the professor were not present, she would talk more freely (personal interview, June, 2003). The implication is Thai students bring their cultural background to the American class which effectively blocks their participation in the presence of the professor.
Thai: In my country, I don’t think participation is important … with Thai teaching style, the teacher, he never require the point for everybody who want to participate or join the class … he never mention about that thing … I know that my opinions is maybe totally different from the professor’s opinion, I think I will not say it out … if the student have the different idea … sometimes it’s hard to convince him, some of them do not accept the student’s opinion.
Thai: Even though she should ask question, nobody answer … I think professor get bore … keep talking … only professor … yeah, almost none … without professor.
A Japanese native speaker expressed that English native speakers interrupt the L2 speakers’ spoken contributions to the whole group or small group discussion; however, when he participates in group discussions in a Japanese classroom setting, people wait until he finishes his speech.
Japanese: Speech style is different … in the United States English speaking people … I talk something, they response me, just nodding, and yes, I see, really? … But Japanese someone talks we have to wait he or she finishes.
These cultural differences can positively impact the class by giving more opportunities to participate in class to compare and contrast cultural views and perspectives on issues and topics. In a multi-cultural setting, the setting pressures each person to verbally participate, to identify, and to promote his or her own culture.
Japanese: If we talk in Japanese that means we have same culture so I don’t have to talk about … like this is different situation in here … when I talk with like people from different country I have to … sometimes if I know I can compare and then I can let them know like this is the different point.
Ferris (1998) stated that the L2 students from different cultural expectations and settings struggle with class participation. I, however, found IUP graduate students were different from the L2 students surveyed by Ferris. IUP students eagerly expressed themselves concerning their cultural and language difficulties during their U.S. tenure. Ferris & Tagg’s (1996) survey of U.S. professors noted that ESL students need to speak, in order to overcome cultural inhibitions and to learn how to participate using oral/aural skills. Asians in particular have difficulty with active participation because of their cultural differences in learning styles.
Therefore, the U.S. professors and my Asian interviewees agreed that the cultural and subsequent educational background inhibits L2 students’ oral discussion performance in the L2 class setting. Furthermore, the clash of cultural patterns and resulting inhibitions serves as a block to new information and profitable interaction with the western culture and its educational learning styles.
4.5. Self-perceptions of L2 students’ comparing/contrasting class discussion participation in L1 verses L2 class
L1 performance skills, such as speaking and listening, come naturally to L1 speakers. Assuming this, I asked all of my interviewees to express what differences might occur in their class discussion participation level if they were in L1 class setting. The most common response was that they were more comfortable in their native setting and this would increase their participation level (personal interview, June, 2003). L2 students continually use as a base of reference and comparison their L1 class setting even during their L2 class participation. The implication here is that the L2 students struggle with active class participation in the U.S. classroom but would not have the same high stress level if the class participation were in their native setting, free from any language interruption of their learning process.
Chinese: There is no problem for me use native language.
Korean: If I have some idea to say, I can say in my native language.
Thai: I understand almost hundred percent … we can talk, we understand the content better … I can follow the discussion much better … I can bring up some questions about problems that I don’t understand and ask my peer to explain. Japanese: If the class were taught in Japanese maybe I always speak up.
Korean: If I participate in the oral discussion in Korean language, I think I can participate more often than discussion in English.
However, some interviewees expressed that the L1 or L2 class setting was not an issue; their real concern was the topic to be discussed and their own familiarity with that topic (personal interview, June, 2003). That is, various academic disciplines approach this problem of active class participation by providing questions to clarify the content to be used in the class setting. Several graduate students increased their participation in class discussion by focusing on the topic and its clarity. Prior research of American professors reflects their admiration of the L2 students’ motivation and subsequent academic achievements (Ferris & Tagg, 1998).
Thai: When I have question, I need to clear that question, so I just ask.
Chinese: I don’t see the topic, depends of the topic … I am familiar or not …
Japanese: I really focus on the content. If in Japanese university, they talk about
sociolinguistics, I don’t know about sociolinguistics even I read article … of course I understand … it is easy just to talk … but opinion should be reflect my own something in the background … if I take the course in Japanese will be not so big difference.
4.6. Other comments on participation in class discussion
Due to the difficulties of speaking and listening in class discussion, a Korean native speaker pointed out the need for a language class at her program school in U.S. which emphasizes oral/aural skills. Ferris (1998) also noted that ESL students expressed the need to have an additional oral/aural skill training course which would enhance their listening comprehension, conversation and formal presentation.
Korean: I want to the courses that focus on listening and speaking proficiency improvement.
All of the interview participants, except one student, expressed that their professors and peers supported them to become more involved in class discussion. A supportive and constructive class environment helps L2 students to improve their speaking and listening skills. In addition, through their oral/aural class discussion, L2 students are able to see their English learning curve consistently improve.
5. Conclusions
L2 students strive diligently to overcome the language barriers in U.S. universities in order to find success in their particular academic fields. When L2 students are exposed to academically required class and group discussion techniques, the oral/aural language skills become a high hurdle for the L2 students to overcome. Interestingly, both the L2 students and the U.S. professors are searching for the reason why the L2 students experience such an inhibition toward the active use of their speaking and listening skills in a class or small group discussion.
My study of participation in academic class discussion has helped identify several problematic areas of which L2 students and teachers need to be aware. First, when L2 students participate in the class discussion, insufficient content knowledge is a key issue which for most L2 students serves only to inhibit their active participation in class discussion. The individual L2 students’ amount of reading to build a pre-class knowledge base for a given topic or issue insures a higher frequency of participation in class discussion. When L2 students gain confidence in their knowledge, then they are more motivated to participate freely in the oral discussion.
Secondly, L2 students’ participation in the extremely difficult class discussion must be achieved through self-motivation. Continued participation is the only way to get over the inhibitions that arise from the L2 students’ feelings, brought on by their lack or perceived lack of English proficiency. That is, in order to facilitate comprehension of the discussion topic, L2 students need to speak out, ask questions, and add ideas throughout the class discussion. Even though the difficulty level is very high, the L2 students must have frequent interaction not only with the professor, but also their peers in the classroom. Furthermore, by pre-developing discussion strategies the L2 students can predict the challenges related to interaction with their peers and professors as well. This process helps the L2 students break the major barriers to participation.
Finally, L2 students need to realize that they are in a U.S. class which is vastly different from their native language education system. What are the expectations of the U.S. educational system? What seems to be its basic focus? What contributions can the L2 students make from their own cultural systems to achieve a balance with the U.S. educational system? As the L2 students become more familiar with the U.S. class environment, their ability to discuss with topic comprehension will become more evident.
L2 students have the benefit of studying abroad. This provides opportunities for the L2 students to compare and contrast with their own cultures’ educational systems. It opens the potential for adopting a unique and integrated new system for the student in his or her own professional development. Many potential benefits exist in spite of the difficulties to achieve success in the academic arena of speaking and listening. Ferris and Tagg (1996) stated that “ESL students need to move out of their comfort zone in preparing for college course work” (p. 313). Speaking and listening skills are not the only problematic areas in the academic discussion task. Pre-reading to build a content base for the discussion topic will help provide the L2 students with the structure for guiding his or her thought during the discussion time period. This pre-preparation will enhance the students’ listening ability while making it possible for the L2 students to positively participate academically in the discussion class. This increased confidence will strengthen the students’ oral language learning curve.
Note
1. All excerpts from the audio taped are used with permission
References
Basturkmen, H. (2001). Descriptions of spoken language for high level learners: The example of questioning. ELT Journal, 55(1), 4-13.
Basturkmen, H. (2002). Leaner observation of, and reflection on, spoken discourse: An approach for teaching academic speaking. TESOL Journal, 11(2), 26-30.
Ferris, D. (1998). Students’ views of academic aural/oral skills: A comparative needs analysis. TESOL Quarterly, 32(2), 289-318.
Ferris, D., & Tagg, T. (1996). Academic listening/speaking tasks for ESL students: Problems, suggestions, and implication. TESOL Quarterly, 30(2), 297-317.
Leki, I. (2001). “A narrow thinking system”: Nonnative-English-speaking students in group projects across the curriculum. TESOL Quarterly, 35(1), 39-67.
Stewart, T. (2003). Debate for ESOL students. TESOL Journal, 12(1), 9-15.
