Academic Affinity and Beyond

Susan DePhilippis

Judith Otterburn-Martinez

Atlantic Cape Community College, NJ

Purpose

• ESL Curricula changes– Approximately 500 students enrolled– Are ESL students prepared when they leave the ESL

program?

• Foster colleague awareness– What issues/concerns do other departments have with

Non-native English Speakers (NNES)?

Session Overview

• Administration• Development• Questions and Results • Lessons Learned:

– ESL curricula adapted– Linguistic needs identified – Academic culture needs addressed

Administration of Survey

• Administered through Survey Monkey• Full time and adjunct faculty asked to participate

face to face and with a handed note given at a mandatory faculty day

• Survey and information followed up by email and Survey Monkey link

• ESL department chair reminded department chairs for faculty participation

• Second email reminder with link

Survey Content and Response

• 16 question survey– Questions asking to compare native and non native speakers about

frequency, performance and grading of:• Oral presentations• Writing assignments- in and out of class• Behavior during class sessions• Behavior when interacting with professors• Demographic information about professors

• 115 responses ( 34% full time & 66% adjunct)

• Variety of disciplines- English, Math, Science, Computer Science, Psychology, History, Communication, Business, and Art.

Example Questions

Areas of Problems in :• volume • pronunciation • hesitation or repetition • speed • length • eye contact & body language• other: _________________

3. With what Speech issues do your non-native English speaking students struggle giving ORAL PRESENTATIONS that native English speaking students do not? (Choose all that apply.)

71%44%

40 %

33%

Example Questions

4. With what DELIVERY AND VISUAL AIDE issues do your non-native English speaking students struggle giving ORAL PRESENTATIONS that native English speaking students do not? (Choose all that apply.)

• completing assignment appropriately• accuracy of information given• combining facts, information, opinion and conclusion in a logical, cohesive way • applying “book” information to real-life scenarios, drawing original conclusions• plagiarism• collaborating with classmates: participating in group assignment • sentence structure – order of subjects, verbs, objects, adjectives, etc.• word choice • verb tenses and timeframes• spelling • other: _________________________

63%

55%49%

Example Questions

following/ understanding directions accuracy of information given combining facts, information, opinion and conclusion in a logical, cohesive

way applying “book” information to real-life scenarios, drawing original conclusions plagiarism expressing individual ideas, thoughts and opinions clearly sentence structure – order of subjects, verbs, objects, adjectives, etc.

prepositions (on, in, at …) and articles (the, a, an) word choice verb tenses and timeframes Spelling other: _____________________________

6. With what issues do your non-native English speaking students struggle regarding these WRITING ASSIGNMENTS that native English speaking students do not?

76%

58%55%

51%

Example Questions

difficulty finishing the work in the given timeframe following/understanding directions accuracy of information given combining facts, information, opinion and conclusion in a logical, cohesive way completeness of information given applying “book” information to real-life scenarios, drawing original conclusions expressing individual ideas, thoughts and opinions clearly sentence structure – order of subjects, verbs, objects, adjectives, etc. prepositions (on, in, at …) and articles (the, a, an) word choice verb tenses and timeframes Spelling other: ___________________________

8. With what issues do your non-native English speaking students struggle doing these EXAMS and/or other course ASSESSMENTS that native English speaking students do not?

58%56%

56%44%

Example Questions

1 2 3 N/A

Content 11% 5% 83% 1%

Organization 7% 39% 54% 1%

Development of Ideas

6% 29% 63% 2%

Critical Thinking 5% 18% 76% 1%

Grammar/Lang Usage

15% 44% 41% 0

Spelling 19% 48% 34% 0

9. Mark which aspects of grading are important when assessing ALL students’ writing assignments and exam answers. (1 being least important and 3 being most important)

Example Questions

10. What do non-native English speaking students struggle with during class sessions that native English speaking students do not? (Choose all that apply.)

lateness/leaving early absenteeism unprepared (no text, paper etc.) homework incomplete or not done does not work well with others disruptive note-taking listening/responding to impromptu questions/dialog does not participate/very quiet cell phone calls or other distractions other:____________________________

73%

42%

Example Questions

11.  With what do non-native English speaking students struggle when INTERACTING with you as the course INSTRUCTOR that native English speaking students do not? (Choose all that apply.)

 • does not attend office hours• disappears for multiple class sessions• does not explain problems • inability to communicate effectively with instructor • inability to resolve needs (ex. questioning grade on a

test, missing a quiz etc) • other:_______________________________________

40 %

39 %

38 %

Colleague Awareness

Point: involving the faculty of other disciplines in the process of identifying cultural and linguistic needs, so they will be more approachable to post-ESL students. 

ESL Presentation to whole faculty (fall 08)Break out session (fall 10) Anonymous survey Interviewing faculty on an ongoing basis

Lessons Learned:

• In survey, unclear of department v. course taught• In survey, unclear on how many and how

frequently professors have NNES students• With survey, further study is needed for online

instruction• Within department, no tracking for student

success or failure

Negative

Lessons Learned:

• New lower level grammar course implemented this spring

• New lower level pronunciation course projected start fall 2012

• Revising all course outcomes based on data• Continuing dialogue with colleagues as ESL

curricula changes

Positive

QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS?

Thank You!

For more information, comments or questions please email us:

Susan: sdephili@atlantic.edu

Judith: jotterbur@atlantic.edu