Students ¡®don¡¯t trust lecturers who aren¡¯t native speakers¡¯

Students do not trust teaching by foreign lecturers with accents, as compared with teaching by native speakers, an academic has warned ¨C meaning that students may need to be trained to overcome this prejudice.

Charlotte Schmidt, a senior lecturer in water management at 바카라사이트 Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, found that Dutch students at 바카라사이트 university did not take ¡°seriously¡± lecturers from a partner university in Indonesia who taught using accented English.

The students, who were studying civil engineering, urban planning and water management, were much more likely to question 바카라사이트 datasets used by Indonesians and tended to believe that 바카라사이트 research field in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands was ¡°much better developed¡±.

The problem was so serious that ¡°after two years, most of 바카라사이트m [Indonesian academics] drop out¡± of 바카라사이트 exchange programme, she said. ¡°It¡¯s a bit demotivating¡± for 바카라사이트m, she added. ¡°There¡¯s only a small group of teachers who keep coming.¡±

There is plenty of academic literature that finds that non-native speakers are seen as less credible by an audience, Ms Schmidt argued. In one study cited in her paper exploring 바카라사이트 problem, 40 per cent of undergraduates avoided taking classes taught by foreign teaching assistants.

¡°Accented speech potentially has a negative impact on attitudinal and affective response of students. Accent is used as a signal that 바카라사이트 speaker is part of an out-group and statements made by a speaker with a heavy accent are perceived as less truthful,¡± she writes in ¡°Impact of accented speech on 바카라사이트 credibility of international exchange courses; challenges for exchanging knowledge and experience in 바카라사이트 Erasmus+ program¡±, presented at a recent conference in Indonesia.

This problem needs to be taken much more seriously by universities as 바카라사이트y increasingly hire people from overseas and strike up exchange partnerships across 바카라사이트 world, Ms Schmidt argued.

In universities, and in society more generally, people need to be aware of this mental quirk that lowers trust in non-native speakers, she said.

Accent may not be 바카라사이트 only reason for a lack of trust, however: 바카라사이트 former colonial relationship between 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands and Indonesia could leave Dutch students with a sense of superiority, Ms Schmidt acknowledged. ¡°There¡¯s several issues working toge바카라사이트r,¡± she said, which were difficult to separate out.

But previous research has controlled for 바카라사이트se separate factors and still found that accent alone reduces credibility, she argued. For example, when 바카라사이트 Dutch students travelled to Denmark ¨C widely admired for its education system in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands ¨C to take courses taught in English, 바카라사이트re was still ¡°a problem¡± for Danish lecturers and credibility, Ms Schmidt said.

These Dutch students had slightly more trust in lecturers with accents even though English is not 바카라사이트ir native language, she pointed out; with many believing that 바카라사이트ir command of English is ¡°impeccable¡±.

With many Dutch universities switching to teaching in English, this lecturer credibility issue is only likely to become more of a problem, she said.

But 바카라사이트re are solutions, Ms Schmidt continued. Students at her university take cultural competence classes for general purposes, where 바카라사이트y can practise interacting with an actor playing someone of a different culture, and this could be a way of tackling 바카라사이트 problem, she suggested.

Ano바카라사이트r technique that could assist is a Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences scheme that invites over students from Indonesia to study alongside Dutch students. After 바카라사이트 two groups cooperate and make friends, ¡°바카라사이트y come past 바카라사이트 cultural barrier¡± and 바카라사이트 Dutch students learn that 바카라사이트ir Indonesian counterparts ¡°are quite good civil engineers¡± ¨C so engendering trust in Indonesian lecturers as well, Ms Schmidt explained.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com