Transcript HBS L&T Conference 2013

Access to Learning:
Language and Academic Skills Support Available for International Students
Gamu Matarira
Siegrid Beck
Xiangping Du
HBS L&T Conference 2013
Introduction
• Our roles & responsibilities
– Who we are & what we do
• Business Communication (in-sessional English support)
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Why Business Communication?
What is Business Communication?
How does it support our HBS students?
What do staff think about it?
What do students think about it?
• Moving forward
Who were are & What we do?
Xiangping Du
• Academic Skills Adviser in ASU
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Support any HBS students academically*
team teaching with HBS lecturers
Daily skills workshops
one-to-one advisory ‘drop-in’ basis
• PG Support Officer in SSG
– Support HBS PG academically & pastorally
– Dissertation
– SAC (adaptive, personal, administrative issues)
Who were are & What we do?
Gamu Matarira
• Lecturer in English Language Teaching (ELT, School of Humanities)
• Tutor and Module Leader of Business Communications (BC) [insessional English]
• Design and delivery of a Language and Academic Skills course
• Support through an Embedded Learning approach to In-Sessional
English: an on-going development at HBS
• Individual/group drop-in hours
Who were are & What we do?
Siegrid Beck
• Senior Lecturer in English Language Teaching and Linguistics
• Programme Tutor of Graduate Certificate in Business since 2007
• Innovative CBI/CLIL approach to support learning that now has been
rolled out into In-Sessional English/Business Communication
• UG International and Direct Entry Students’ Academic Adviser
• Close cooperation with HBS PT, Module Leaders, Gamu to further
improve UG students’ experience and academic success
Business Communication Class
WHY?
• International students often enter University with an adequate IELTS
TOEFL score, but have inadequate levels of communicative English
• Few students arrive at university sufficiently able to employ the
particular academic literacy skills necessary for their actual degree.
• These skills ought to be learned, and this learning should take place
within the context of the module being taught. In this way, learning is
characterised by ‘immediacy, relevance and authenticity’ (Curnow and
Liddicoat 2008; Warren 2002; Wingate 2006).
• In line with UH Graduate Attributes
Business Communication Class
WHAT?
• Aimed at international students who have inadequate levels of
communicative English and study skills expected in a UK HEI
• Embedding Language and Academic Literacy Skills within the
Business module
• To develop the language proficiency, academic literacy and
professional communication skills required during the year and
beyond graduation
Business Communication Class
HOW?
• Involvement at planning stages: Subject tutor gives lecture
material/assessment info to ELT in advance (via access to
StudyNet/meetings)
• ELT attends lectures/lectorials (facilitator)
• Separate BC tutorial – responsive to students’ needs
• Encompasses EAP & incorporates the teaching of transferrable
academic skills that are tailor-made to specifically meet students’
immediate requirements within their disciplines
Business Communication Class
HOW? (cont.)
• i.e. Essay, Report & Reflective Writing Skills, Oral Presentations,
Critical Thinking Skills - developed within a core module.
• Transferrable skills to enhance overall performance.
• Students encouraged to draw comparisons between current
affairs in the west & their home countries
• Students see BC as an integral part of their Business Module
Business Communication Class
WHAT DO STAFF THINK ABOUT IT?
“I think that there has been a big difference in the engagement of
students in the lectorials (particularly compared to the old tutorial/
lecture process in the past). Having additional support seems to
have given students (noticeably Chinese students who are in the
majority this semester) more confidence in having a go at
answering - and mostly they are on track with their ideas. English
is improving too I have found - I also followed your rule and only
allow English to be spoken in class at all times which has been
appreciated and understood by all”
(MSc Management, 2013)
Business Communication Class
WHAT DO STAFF THINK ABOUT IT? (Cont.)
“The key for me is that the students get the chance to continue on
where we leave in the context of a topic - your sessions help them
to ensure they absolutely understand the topic in question as well
as some time to ask questions which they might feel they don’t
want to ask in the main lectorial. It must be very difficult to learn
and reflect in another language! …certainly, students seem better
engaged and prepared and attendance at lectures has been
consistently high as they realise that the flow of information and
work between your sessions and ours is very much joined up and
they might miss something if they do not attend either”
(MSc Management, 2013)
Business Communication Class
WHAT DO STUDENTS THINK ABOUT IT?
• Samples
1. Non-required regular attenders
2. Required regular attenders
3. Required non-regular attenders
• Questionnaire & Interview
– Questionnaire (closed & openended questions)
– 121 semi-structured
interviewer-administered
• Questions*
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Their attendance
Usefulness of the class
Their expectations
Opinion of their Tutors
Suggestions on
improvement
Business Communication Class
WHAT DO STUDENTS THINK ABOUT IT? (Cont.)
• Attendance
“I attended this class because it is obvious like other modules I
thought that this module is useful for me.” - MSc AFM Student
“I attended the class because the module was linked with the
managing strategy, and I felt the MS module was quite difficult to
me. Moreover, I failed in the BC exam so that I need the
improvement of academic writing.” – MSc Mgt Student
“The business communications class fell one hour before our
Managing Strategy lecture and was therefore at a convenient
time.” – MSc Mgt Student
Business Communication Class
WHAT DO STUDENTS THINK ABOUT IT? (Cont.)
• Usefulness
“I found the tutorials to be useful but too short. The topics covered
were relevant for the assignments and I enjoyed the group
discussions.” - MSc Mgt Student
“I consider it as an opportunity to practice my oral English. Sometimes, I
asked the tutor helps me to check my assignment. ” – MSc AFM Student
“It was quite useful to me to improve many skills such as
paraphrasing, writing, understand the difficult concept such as
paradox. Before the coursework submission, the BC class helped
me to organise coursework structure and contents.” – MSc Mgt
Student
Business Communication Class
WHAT DO STUDENTS THINK ABOUT IT? (Cont.)
• Opinion of their tutors
“She is quite nice and supportive, she helped us to analyse the case,
and give us instructions for our assignment. In addition, she explains
vocabularies and terminology for us, such as Paradox, RBV and
MBV.”
“She is a very enthusiastic & informed tutor who involves quieter
members into the discussions as well.”
“I like his interactive method of teaching and he explains the topics of
this module brilliantly with interesting examples and he makes me
laugh and learn easily in class. I feel it is most essential to have this
kind of interaction between the lecturer and the taught- an interaction
Business Communication Class
WHAT DO STUDENTS THINK ABOUT IT? (Cont.)
• Suggestions
“I think the time might be too short, it is just one hour, but we have
several things to do. In addition, I think the attendance would be
better if the business communication class require compulsory
attendance for every student, because I think it is not only helpful for
students who`s English is not good enough, local students can also
learn from the process, for example, the ability to deal with cultural
conflicts.”
“Closer links with the lecture material for each week would be beneficial
with a set timetable given at the beginning of the module. This way
students can prepare fully before attending and can make the
connection to the lectures.”
Any Questions?