Anna LLewellyn-Smith, Harper Adams University There is evidence to show that transnational students face barriers to understanding the spoken content of their lectures. A limited number of studies suggest changes that lecturers can make to mitigate the hurdles, but almost none capture suggestions from students themselves. Since transnational students bring many benefits to universities, there is a need to address low levels of comprehension. Through a mixed method approach the study aimed to determine the nature of perceived barriers, the role lecturers’ delivery style played in hindering comprehension, the role students’ own proficiency played and what changes in spoken delivery students themselves were seeking. The study concluded that lecturers can make a number of stand-alone modifications to delivery but that continual inter-department collaboration would also be beneficial. The study adds to our understanding of what modifications can be made from the students’ perspective. This presentation was delivered at Reimagining Higher Education: journeys of decolonising at De Montfort University, Leicester, on Wednesday 8th November 2023.

1. Reimagining Higher Education: Journeys of Decolonising
De Montfort University
8th November 2023
International students’ perceived barriers to
understanding in-person lectures: How can we help?
Anna Llewellyn-Smith
English Language Support
allewellyn-smith@harper-adams.ac.uk
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2. 2
Session aims:
1. Present the rationale for the study
2. Canvass your perceptions
/experiences of barriers to
understanding lectures (teachers’
view)
3. Present the findings of the action
research (students’ view)
4. Explore how workable the requests
from students are in practice.

3. 3
Rationale for the study
“ We understand half, yes half ”
(Final year Harper BUA IBM student 2023)

4. 4
Rationale for the study continued….
• International students provide 5% of HE institutional income, of which
the majority is from the fees of Chinese students (OfS, 2022).
• Learning, teaching and student experience are important factors in
maintaining overseas institutional partnerships and securing future
income streams (Andrade, 2006, OfS, 2022).

5. 5
Rationale for the study continued….
• International students bring many additional benefits as well helping
to sustain a UK research base and global connectivity (UKCISA,
2021)
“ International students add value to the UK. We bring diverse
perspectives, linguistic traditions and cultural diversity to classrooms,
enriching British education. We contribute to the social and cultural
vitality of the places in UK we call home through paid work,
volunteering and community involvement. After completing our studies,
the networks and connections we establish in the UK support long-term
global, cultural, academic and business links” (Student Ambassadors,
UKCISA, 2022 p2)

6. 6
Rationale for the study continued….
• HAU Learning, Teaching and Student Experience Strategy:
“Research informed teaching is considered an important element in
delivering high quality teaching and may be about, “learning itself,”
to make sure that teaching methods are as effective as possible”
(Harper Adams University, 2021 p7).

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Rationale for the study from the literature….
• Most studies were before recorded lectures and translation tools. The
learning landscape has changed = impact on the nature and prevalence
of barriers.
• No studies done at HAU
• Most studies have looked from a teacher perspective and in terms of
changes to language support including: content-based instruction (CBI)
and content and language integrated learning (CLIL).
• The barriers faced by transnational students to understanding spoken
lecture content is well documented (Cranwell, et.al., 2021, Rubin, 2002).
However, the literature relating to Chinese students specifically is scant.

8. 8
Rationale for the study continued….
• Very, very few studies have explored the views of students about
what small modifications subject lectures can make to enhance
accessibility.
• Anecdotal evidence spanning a decade.

9. 9
Your experiences
What are your perceptions/experiences of some of the
barriers to understanding?

10. 10
3. Action Research methodology
Study objectives
1.To establish the nature of perceived barriers.
2.To establish whether barriers are the result of lecture delivery.
3.To establish whether barriers are the result of second language
proficiency.
4.To establish what strategies lecturers could use to make
understanding easier.

11. 11
Mixed methods approach
1. Questionnaire sent to all 48 on-site, final year, BUA students. (60%
response rate)
• All returned questionnaires were valid.
• 21 questions – mix of multiple choice, closed, Likert and 2 open-
ended.
2. 2 focus groups, 6 student volunteers per group, conducted in English.

12. 12
Summary of results
10 main perceived barriers in lectures, emerging from questionnaire
data, showing the percentage of respondents who ranked the
barrier as significant or extremely significant
• Use of idioms (93%)
• Unfamiliar content (89%)
• Technical terms (64%)
• Intonation (64%)
• Strong accents (61%)
• Limited use of paralinguistic features (55%)
• Limited word stress (52%)
• Limited discourse markers (52%)
• Colloquialisms (50%)
• Fast speed of spoken delivery (24%) – although not a huge percentage, mentioned
consistently in open-ended responses and in focus groups.

13. 13
Summary table of additional trends emerging
Problem /Trend
Weakest skill: speaking (43%) writing (29%) listening (21%) reading (7%)
Colloquialisms (50%)
Maintaining attention (50+ mins) (54%)
Contracted forms e.g. aren’t - not a real problem (14%)
Easier if recorded lecture watched beforehand (68%)
Lecturers speak more clearly in recorded lectures (54%)
Lecturers speak slower in recorded lectures (54%)
Glossary of technical terms given before lecture would be helpful (100%)
Videos with English subtitles easier ( 72%)

14. 14
Some quotes from focus groups:
“Slow down, slow
down the speed.”
“First it’s the
vocabulary. Then I
don’t understand the
whole sentence. Then
I don’t understand
their ideas.”
“In China you are
always just
reading words, not
practising
listening.” “I use real-time
translation software.”
“Some
people’s faces
don’t change.”
“(In China) We
write and write
and don’t listen
or speak much”.
“Even my
translation tool
can’t understand
their English.”
“We have
limited
vocabulary.”
“(In China) If you speak
you are the officious
one.”
“(In China) It’s polite to
listen and just follow
the teacher’s orders
like a machine.”
“We are shy to ask
the tutor.”
“Yeah, body language
makes it easier.”
“It’s just
speed”
“It’s hard for me to use
daily conversation. I’ve
only listened to academic.”
“ Our listening is
very, very poor.”
“He talks fast
like a rabbit”

15. 15
Student suggestions on how lecturers can help:
• Use hand gestures and facial expressions
• Slow down speaking speed
• Highlight topic sentences or key words in PowerPoint slides
• Students be allowed to record the lecture
• Be given a glossary of technical terms before the lecture.
• Avoid idioms and colloquialisms
• Use intonation, word stress and gestures to re-enforce key points
• Provide English subtitles with any video clips

16. 16
Conclusion
• Perceived barriers are actually real.
• Chinese students share the same challenges understanding lectures
as other transnational students.
• Educational experience and cultural conditioning hinder adjustment,
so that strategies are survivalist.
• The study’s findings reflect the literature.
• Lecturers could make small, beneficial changes to delivery, that
particularly address; technical terms, unfamiliar content, spoken
speed, use of idioms and colloquialisms and signpost key concepts.

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4. How workable are the student suggestions?

18. 18
References
Andrade, M. (2006). ‘International Students in English-speaking Universities: Adjustment Factors.’ Journal
of Research in International Education. Vol 5 Issue 2 pp 131-1545. DOI: 10.1177/1475240906065589
Cranwell, P., Li, D., Whiteside, K., Woodcock, A. and Page, E. (2021) ‘Understanding the barriers faced
by TNE students when completing advanced-level laboratory-based practical classes.’ International
Journal of Chinese Education. Vol 10 Issue 3. DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/22125868211046033
Harper Adams University (2021) ‘ Learning, teaching and Student Experience Strategy 20210-2026:
Distinctive Teaching for World Leading Education.’ pp 1-8 Available at: https://cdn.harper-
adams.ac.uk/document/ki/key-info-page/?earning-Teaching-and-Student-Experience-Strategy.pdf
(Accessed 08/09/22)
Office for Students (2022) Learning More About International Students. Insight Vol 12 March pp 1-8
Available at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/media/f87be45e-bee7-41f7-88a5-ee4f8231a834/insight-
brief-12-learning-more-about-international-students.pdf Accessed 07/09/22

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Rubin, J. (1994) ‘A Review of Second Language Listening Comprehension
Research.’ The Modern Language Journal. Vol 78 Issue 2 pp 199-221
Available at:
https://www/academia.edu/1253270/Areviewofsecondlanguagelisteningcomprehensionresearch Accessed
09/09/22
Uk Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) (2022) #WeAreInternational Student Charter. Available
at: https://www.ukcisa.org.uk/Research--Poicy/Resource-bank/resources/224/WeAreinternational-Student-
Charter Accessed 09/09/22
Uk Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) (2021) Impact of International Students. Available at:
https://www.ukcisa.org.uk/Research--Policy/Policy--lobbying/Impact-of-international-students Accessed
09/09/22

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The end