Title of Case Study: / Integrating International Students into a Voluntary Foreign Language Scheme
Institution and initiating department/faculty:
Academic Services (International Programmes Group)
Departments/faculties in which initiative implemented/to be implemented:
All students and staff
Key Contact: / Others involved:
Name: / Hélène Lewis / Name: / Paul Barnes
Address: / Tel: / 01 202 96 53 00
Bournemouth University
Academic Services
Talbot Campus
Poole
Dorset
BH12 5BB / Email: /
Name: / Sue Barnes
Tel: / 01 202 96 55 24
Email /
Name / Nicola Peacock
Tel: / 01 202 96 55 14
Tel: / 01202 965330 / Email /
Email: /
Abstract
At Bournemouth University (BU), the Languages Programme (LP) has a successful track record of developing communicative skills for management. However, student access to the LP is determined by Programme Teams. The all@bu scheme (Access to Language Learning at Bournemouth University) was set up to widen access to language learning, free of charge, on a voluntary and viable basis for students whose programme does not accredit foreign language study. At the same time, it was seen as an opportunity to integrate non-UK students by helping them to play a valuable and valued role in the drive towards internationalisation. Submitted: July 2006
Background – contextual issues giving rise to the initiative
The all@bu scheme is open to all staff and students at BU. Originally set up in 2001, it was aligned to:
· the University’s Strategic Plan (“to enhance the international capability of staff and students through education, support and training”)
· the Learning and Teaching Position Paper (“International dimensions of a teaching and learning policy should encompass education for international capability”)
· recommendation 10.5 from the Nuffield Inquiry (“provide encouragement for all students to extend their portfolio of languages through access to supported independent learning, whether or not it forms part of their degree programmes”).
In an economic and educational context where financial constraints bear heavily on co-curricular or extra-curricular activities, it was essential to find an economical model which could be sustained on a permanent basis. Staff in International Programmes and the International Office were also keen to raise the profile of international students (including EU) among the university community at large. Knight (2004) emphasises the need to allow staff and students to learn from each other and become aware of their interdependence. Imbalance in numbers of incoming foreign students and potential language learners means that Tandem Learning, whilst popular and effective, cannot be fully exploited. The all@bu scheme makes the skills of international students available to wider numbers, enabling international students to make a useful contribution to promoting foreign language study, and to forge relationships with staff and students beyond the confines of their course. International students acting as facilitators are paid for their time, and the scheme is free to staff and students.
Description of activity or initiative
1 Scope
The overall aim of the scheme is to provide a financially viable programme of structured self-managed learning, support and oral practice to BU staff, and to students wishing to develop their foreign language skills outside their degree programme, sometimes as preparation for academic mobility. The languages offered currently include French, German, Italian and Spanish. To ensure viability, the scheme is offered at three levels (Beginners, Improvers and Practitioners), compared with the six stages of the Language Programme.
BU has a significant population of overseas students, whose welfare is overseen by the International Office. The International Programmes Group works in close collaboration with the International Office, and uses students as facilitators for oral practice sessions scheduled into the scheme.
2 Flexibility of access required by voluntary learners
Students can join at any time, but must conform to a recommended pattern of study. Beginners and False Beginners are advised to undertake the equivalent of a term of structured self-managed learning (supported by workshops), and to join a series of oral practice sessions from the following term onwards, whilst also progressing with self-managed learning. This is to ensure that participants have enough basic knowledge of the language to avoid oral practice sessions turning into taught sessions. Improvers and Practitioners can join oral practice sessions straight away, whilst also progressing with their recommended programme of self-managed learning.
In the early all@bu workshops, students are encouraged to make the most of this flexibility to plan their language learning long-term, ideally over two years or more of their period at University. All students have heavy demands on their time, from the workload of their degree, pressure of employment etc. Any voluntary scheme has to be flexible enough to respect students’ schedules, varied enough to remain relevant to their many professional interests and effective enough to yield some quick sense of progress in order to maintain motivation. It must also be recognised that financial pressures on students are and will go on increasing. It is therefore essential that a voluntary learning scheme should maintain a model which is offered to participants free of charge, yet financially tolerable to the institution.
3 Supporting motivation in voluntary learners
A wide range of resources is available to learners through the Language Centre, and their selection and use are discussed during workshops or appointments with the Language Adviser in relation to individual levels of competence and learning styles, e.g.: BBC, Palgrave or Macmillan Breakthrough etc materials.
The Language Centre consistently recommends the Michel Thomas language learning courses, which have proved particularly effective with non-specialist voluntary learners. The two members of staff overseeing the scheme had been involved in an earlier project funded by the Standing Conference of Heads of Modern Language (SCHML 2001). This pilot focused on “Promoting Foreign Language Learning to Non-Specialists” by looking at the Michel Thomas language learning method, which had been recently released commercially. In this, they received strong support and close collaboration from the publishers, Hodder and Stoughton.
The courses, available in French, German, Spanish and Italian, constitute a radically different approach to ab initio and further learning. Based on the author’s interest in cognitive processes, they enable the learner to acquire functional use of the foreign language within 10 to 12 hours. The materials are exclusively audio-based, and there is no book. Three ground rules are set from the beginning: the learner is requested not to try and memorise, learn by rote or take notes. “Never guess, think it through” is a frequent reminder which encourages deep learning. The recordings of the tutorials, of which the learner becomes an extra member, make minimal use of metalanguage and maximum use of cognates wherever possible. Students using these materials are usually enthusiastic, and Michel Thomas courses are now available to Language Centre users for a range of purposes: language acquisition, refresher and remedial. It is particularly interesting to note the very positive reaction of dyslexic students whose confidence is built up by the essentially oral approach of the method.
These learning materials are available at three stages: Beginners, Continuation (Vocabulary Builder) and Advanced. They meet the needs of the various types of voluntary learners. One category includes students who are already experienced at language learning, but wish to maintain or develop their competence, or diversify it by starting a new language ab initio. Such students are usually fairly aware of their learning styles, and of the skills and steady effort required to progress. They usually complete the Michel Thomas courses quite quickly and move on to use a wider range of resources in the self-managed part of their activities. A significant number of students, however, feel that their previous experience of foreign language learning has been inadequate. Such students lack self-confidence, and are occasionally reluctant learners, whose main aim is essentially, and justifiably, to enhance their CV. Such students often have limited language intuition, and are inexperienced regarding language concepts and terminology. Others in this category are students with additional learning needs. Such learners welcome the minimal use of metalanguage and the opportunity to build up their confidence quickly.
Feedback indicates that students obtain a sense of quick progress which maintains motivation. Facilitators are made familiar with the contents of the course, so that they have a clear expectation of the participants’ level and range of learning. Their feedback indicates that they can build on the structures and vocabulary which students have acquired from the Michel Thomas courses to achieve effective oral participation amongst participants.
4 Training of facilitators
The design of the scheme was informed by a diversity of external sources:
· published reports and materials made available through FDTL projects Translang, CIEL and WELL, for hierarchies of skills, needs of independent learners and IT support
· training principles derived from the DOPLA project and operational and design concepts developed for Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL) which is now implemented broadly at BU, as a student-to-student support scheme for academic and personal development: trained `Student Leaders´ meet regularly with small groups of first year students for cooperative and collaborative learning.
For all@bu, international students are informed through the International Office of opportunities to take part in the scheme as facilitators. They fill in an application form (as per the PAL system), and are selected on the basis of previous language learning, motivation and other experience. They attend a training workshop and are provided with a Facilitator’s handbook which contains tips and ideas, guidance on the use of resources as well as practical information ranging from photocopying facilities to pay claim submissions.
Materials and worksheets are available for each language at each Stage. However, it is made clear to facilitators that these are not prescriptive, and that topics for each session can and should be negotiated with the participants.
5 Integration into Language Centre activities
In many ways, the scheme also capitalizes on the traditional activities of the Language Centre:
· Programmed support and advice for voluntary learners from the Language Adviser (identified drop-in periods; individual appointments)
· Workshops to support all@bu participants
· Specific all@bu “wrap-up” materials re-using materials developed by the Academic Group for the Languages Programme
· Production and dissemination of study guides and self-monitoring aids, aiming at three stages (Beginners, Improvers and Practitioners) instead of the six stages of the LP, to ensure viability of groups.
To encourage reflective learning and self-monitoring, all learning guides and handbooks include a learning log, so that students can assess their own progress, or discuss it with the Language Adviser or facilitator.
6 Benefits from and for facilitators
There are obvious advantages for both participants and facilitators. One is the unthreatening, friendly working relationship which can be established between peers, and which is particularly valuable to voluntary students undertaking communicative learning in their spare time. However, an essential feature of the scheme is to raise the profile of overseas students and facilitate their integration by giving them a chance to meet peers outside their own degree programme, who value their skills and share similar interests.
The Language Centre has a successful track record of employing students as assistants to the Language Adviser. In the case of facilitators, although oral practice materials are made to them if they wiah, it is felt that taking charge of oral practice sessions carry an extra time commitment, in terms of familiarisation with the materials, group management, feedback to project members and liaison with the Language Adviser. Facilitators are therefore paid at twice the flat rate used for Language Centre assistants.
Evaluative comments
One of the aims of the scheme is to encourage enjoyment of foreign language practice in a friendly unthreatening atmosphere. Feedback has therefore been gathered informally by inviting participants to send comments to the coordinator of the scheme. Such comments invariably reflect positively on the enthusiasm and commitment of the facilitators. On several occasions, groups requested a further series of oral practice sessions in the Summer time, which was organised if budgets permitted.
Facilitators are appreciative too. Ryan (2005) observes that “regardless of their country of origin or previous level of academic success, international students will experience some degree of loss of self-esteem and self-concept”. Engaging with learners who value the skills they have to offer helps international students to raise their profile and self-esteem within the learning community.
This is demonstrated by the fact that on frequent occasions, international students ask to be recruited as facilitators the following year. By interacting with participants drawn from any School on campus, they widen their range of social contacts. Further tandem learning pairs have emerged informally from the oral practice sessions, by raising awareness of the benefits of mutual support and interdependence.
all@bu cannot, and does not in any way try to replace the accredited and assessed forms of language learning provided by the Languages Programme. Instead, it offers support to language learners enthusiastic and committed enough to pursue the activity in their spare time. Inevitably, it can be seen as a palliative measure replacing wider access to accredited language learning. However, within its limitations, it offers participants access to a language club from which facilitators and learners benefit equally.
Apart from the time investment which was required for the original setting-up of the scheme, costs now remain steady at approximately £ 2000 per year. This covers payment of facilitators’ time (attendance at training workshop and delivery of sessions). The eight annual workshops specific to all@bu are included into workloads of International programmes staff. Participants can then attend Language learning support workshops which are run in any case for Languages Programme students. Overall administration of the scheme is included in the Language Adviser’s time allowance for the management of the Language Centre.
In the earlier years of the scheme, registration of participants was disproportionately time-consuming for the scale of the activity. This has been streamlined by means of an electronic registration form which produces a database facilitating communication with students. Once groups are set up, facilitators are encouraged to take ownership and communicate directly with students about details of attendance and future sessions, after agreement on access to email.
Advice to others
One of the difficulties encountered every year is finding appropriate physical space for what is an extra-curricular activity. A balance must be found between the best environment and the best time of day. If available, social space is the most conducive to creating the communicative atmosphere required to make the activity a success. Similarly, if demand is sufficient, making oral practice sessions available both at lunch time and in a twilight slot can provide greater flexibility of access.
Assessing the appropriate level of publicity presents a considerable challenge. Attempts at generating interest amongst voluntary learners in the past had frequently led to an over-enthusiastic response at induction, especially amongst first year students unaware of the future demands of their degree course and student life. Information is now circulated in advance, but registration is postponed to the third taught week of the Autumn Term, in order to be able to discuss realistic target-setting with interested students. A number of interested students then withdraw before the beginning of the oral practice sessions, which is essential to avoid facilitators’ disappointment and self-doubt. Groups as a result are smaller, but more committed.
Reflection/any other comments
The scheme was started thanks to the enthusiasm and commitment of staff. In particular, the Languages Adviser played a leading role in coordinating resources and encouraging and supporting facilitators. Currently, the modest costs of the scheme provide for 12 groups across three Stages of competence over four languages, which up to now has met the demand. It is hoped to increase the number of groups and languages as other initiatives across the University raise the profile of international activity, foster greater ambitions in students and emphasize the relevance of foreign language learning.
Further details [urls; relevant references/publications; alternative contact names]
KNIGHT, J. 2004. Internationalization Remodelled: Definition, Approaches and Rationales in Journal of Studies in International Education Vol 8, No 1.
RYAN, J. 2005. The student experience. In: J. CARROLL AND J. RYAN, (eds) Teaching International Students – Improving Learning for All. London: Routledge.
The Nuffield Languages Inquiry (2000): Languages: the Next Generation
DoES, 2005. Putting the World into World Class Education
THOMAS, M., 2004. Beginners French. Hodder & Stoughton
Integrating International Students into a Voluntary Foreign Language Scheme