Culture or Language:

Culturally-embedded Spoken English

for Tertiary Students

Marta Spes-Skrbis

2

Content

1. International students’

socio-cultural needs

2. Monash University post-

entry conversational

English skills

3. Good Practice: Let’s Chat

Program

4. Challenges and way

forward

3

Monash University

One of Australia’s largest universities, over

70,000 students

Comprehensive and research intensive

Over 20,000 international onshore students

Over 10,000 students offshore

Multiple campuses in Melbourne and

overseas

68% UG, 24%PG, 6% HDR students

Academic English

Limited linguistic pragmatics

Limited exposure and practice 1

Linguistic

challenges

Disconnected from the educational

institution

Unstable social network2Social

challenges

Mismatched expectations

Misread situations

Unexpected reactions 3Cultural

challenges

Simultaneous

multiple

challenges

Diminished

sense of

belonging

Disengaged

community

Disengaged

learner

Limited success

Unsure

employment

outcomes

International Students’ Challenges

5

Linguistic challenges: English language proficiency

� English as a foreign language

� Focus on academic reading and writing

� Lack of conversational practices

(exposure)

� Unfamiliarity with Australian English

� Absence of linguistic pragmatics

� Relying on code switching and translations

� Confidence

� Expression

� Social and academic

success

� Employment

outcomes

6

Major issues with conversational skills

1. Struggle with conversational vocabulary and pragmatics

(rules of interaction)

2. Lack of socio-cultural knowledge (misreading and

misinterpreting social situations, verbal courtesy)

3. Limited practice (and limited participation) in local

community (house sharing, daily life)

4. Not sharing cultural backdrop to conversations (personal

history, differences in prior educational experience)

7

Major implications of lack of conversational skills in the literature

� Significantly depletes students’ confidence, further impacting on students’ wellbeing and

mental health (Robertson, 2000)

� Prevents students’ full participation in academic and wider community

� Contributes to students’ social isolation and creates a feeling of not belonging – leading to

disengagement (Sawir et all, 2008)

� A major factor in creating a gap between international and domestic students

� Flow on effect on employability

8

Cultural Challenges

Culture is a ‘measuring tool’ - humans apply

to make sense of the world around them

Culture translates into behaviour and

expectations /reaction (perception of time,

discussion contribution, goal or relationship

focused, etc)

1.60

12.1

2.9

38.4

14.4

39.5

54.3

8.5

28.4

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Pre Post

% o

f re

spo

nd

en

ts

Strongly disagree Disagree

Neither agree nor disagree Agree

Strongly agree

I am confident to work in a team of people from different cultural

background (MU, Let’s Chat 2017 survey)

� Team work

� Discussion contribution

� Professional relationships

� Miscommunication

� Mismatched expectations

9

Students’ focus groups (2014, n=35)

‘I don’t know what to say to local people.’

‘I don’t go (to talk to the tutor), I don’t know what he’s saying.’

‘It is scary, I am too … embarrassing (to talk to local peers).’

‘We (international students) are different, we don’t want to say anything (in a tutorial), because no one will understand us.’

‘I don’t know what is polite.’

10

Employers

..are concerned that international students

‘won’t be able to communicate strongly

enough’

‘students have difficulty conversing (…) in

terms of small talk’

‘they only provide one word responses’ (at

the interview)

‘there is a big discrepancy between their

CV and performance in the interview’

Academic staff

The student will not pass her placement,

she needs to improve her English

communication.’

‘They (international students) are not

seeking help, however their English is

very poor.’

‘They (international students) do not

participate in discussions. Maybe they

don’t understand what has been said?’

11

Monash Practice: conversational English in cultural context

High-impact co-curricular program addressing

conversational skills

Peer to peer ensures buy in and

connectedness

Modelling, practicing and using language in

context

Engaging students in social and cultural

context

Providing necessary safe environment

Facilitating unique social connectedness

12

Project Conversational English: Let’s Chat is born

Stage 1 -

Planning

2014

Stage 2 - Pilot

2015

Conversational

English (Let’s

Chat)

Stage 3 -

Operational 2016

English Connect

(Let’s Chat)

Growth and development

13

Let’s Chat: careful planning and monitored outcomes

Lesson plan

• Three foci: linguistic, socio-cultural and student engagement

• Pedagogically well structured lesson plans

Detailed instructions

• Detailed facilitators’ instructions

• Associated activities (dialogues, scenarios, games, simulations, videos)

• Specified desired outcomes and steps to attain these

Evaluation

• Pre and post program surveys (students)

• Facilitators’ feedback (Google forms)

• Anecdotal feedback (case studies)

• Monitored attendance

14

Let’s Chat program

Conversation practice

Peer facilitated

Interactive lessons

Models and practices

Talk and use of English

Fun and engaging

Low commitment

1h p/w

15

Let’s Chat themes

Module 1 Module 2 HDR 1 HDR 2 Workplace Talk Partners’ Module

Building confidence and

developing linguistic and

sociocultural skills for living in

Focus:

Expressing opinions and

thoughts in the classroom

and in the workplace, as well

as developing cultural and

linguistic skills appropriate to

situations such as

apologising or making

requests

Focus:

Developing skills how to

express one’s ideas and

opinions in a professional

setting, while working

comfortably with a supervisor

and across cultures

Focus:

This module is designed for

participants who wish to

transition effectively into the

Australian work environment

or English-speaking

international workplaces,

focusing on cross-cultural

communication and

developing flexible

sociocultural and linguistic

expertise

Focus:

Communication skills for

professional workplace,

strategies for communication

in interviews and in

professional settings.

Focus:

This module is designed to

help partners of PhD

students with their transition

into Australian society

Introductions

Expectations and reality of

university life in Australia

Greetings and titles

Conversation starters

Conversation closers

Body language

Finding common ground

Requests: politeness and

indirectness

Complaints and apologies

Voicing opinions

Phone conversations

Australian slang

Workplace communication

Finding common ground

Language and culture

Culture shock

Social conventions

Requests and politeness

Complaints and apologies

Voicing opinions

Phone conversations

Workplace communication

Talking to medical

professionals

Social rituals

Workplace expectations

Employability skills

Demonstrating experience

Workplace feedback

Small talk

Sociability

Entertaining

Education systems

Queer communities in

Australia

Indigenous Australia

1. Interview Language

2. Professional workplace

conversations

3. Networking

Concluding networking

session organised with

Career Connect. a

Introductions

Expectations and reality of

life in Australia

Greetings and titles

Conversation starters

Conversation closers

Entertaining at home

Holidays

Oral presentations

Phone conversations

Australian slang

Workplace communication

16

Authentic material

Scripts and role plays

Games

Short videos

Scenarios

Example:

You did not understand the assignment topic but

did not approach the tutor. You now realise that

you cannot finish your assignment by the due

date. Approach your course coordinator to discuss

the possibility of an extension for your assignment.

17

Peer to peer: Video resources

Videos showcasing situations:

facilitators’ input: scripts written,

storyboarding, acting

In class short videos are used to

present real situations as a

background to discussion, model

conversation and for questioning.

18

Let’s Chat (2017)

6 Modules

96% international

63% PG

Topics as chosen by students

41 peer facilitators from

all faculties

38 hours

per week

Selection process

62.6% of students in their first year

in Australia

70% students new to the program, 30% returning

Program

Students

Facilitators 5 days face to face

+ online training +

prof. development

STUDENTS

EMPLOYED

STUDENTS STUDENTS

EMPLOYED

CONTACT

HOURS/WEEK

10 FACULTIES

31% BusEco

27% Edu

13% Arts

CONTACT

HOURS/ WEEK

382016

6838

411929

2017 Growth

10 FACULTIES

34% BusEco

21% Edu

13% IT

2017

STUDENTS

2845

20

Survey Results (n=1286 pre-survey, 38.3% response post-survey ) Sem. 1 2017

21.4

1.6

46.4

21.3

Pre Post

disagee

not sure

agree

Figure 1: I am confident in speaking English

16.1

7.6

60.9

42.6

23.0

49.8

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Pre Post

% o

f re

spo

nd

an

ts

Figure 2: I can understand native speakers of Australian

English

21

Survey Results

15.9

26.527.3

35.7

43.2

28.9

13.2

8.4

0.5 0.4

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Pre Post

Most of the time

Half of the time

Sometimes

Mostly don't use it

Not at all

Figure 3: I use English in my day to day life

2.3

0

20.0

5.3

36.5

12.8

32.9

51.9

8.1

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Pre Post

% o

f re

spo

nd

en

tsStrongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree

Figure 4: I feel confident when I interact with this group of

people (from different CAL backgrounds)

22

Post-program survey: To what extend has LC met your expectations?

38.8

38.8

62.9

75.5

64.6

62.0

46.8

51.1

33.3

23.6

34.6

38.0

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Provide opportunities to talk to domestic

students.

To contribute to my academic

performance.

Provide opportunities to meet other

international students.

Provide opportunities to talk to other

students.

To develop my Australian cultural

knowledge.

To make me a more confident speaker of

English.

A lot Some

23

Post-program survey

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Semester 1

% o

f re

spo

nd

an

ts

Let's Chat has helped me feel more

confident in spoken English

disagee

somewhat agree

agree

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Semester 1

% o

f re

spo

nd

an

ts

Let's Chat has helped me understand what is

expected of me at Monash

disagee

somewhat agree

agree

24

Post-program survey

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Semester 1

Let's Chat has encouraged me to participate

in other university programs

disagee

somewhat agree

agree

25

Major impacts of Let’s Chat – Summary

Significantly raised confidence in students’ abilities in spoken communication

Significantly improved understanding (linguistic and cultural decoding) of (Australian English

speaking) academic staff and peers

3. Increased use of English outside the curriculum

4. Significantly better understanding of university expectations

Significantly increased student engagement on campus

6. Significantly improved understanding of Australian culture

26

Challenges and questions

� Co-curricular programs – less

impact than in curriculum

� Uncapped growth?

� Sustainability

� Attrition rates

� Locations (multiple campuses)

� Facilitators’ recruitment and

training

� Peer facilitators vs professional staff ?

� Accompanying online resources?

� Discipline-specific content?

27

Bibliography

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the First Year in Higher Education, 2(2), 9-22.

Andrade, M.S. (2006) International Students in English-speaking universities: Adjustment factors. Journal of Research in International Education,

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Delphi technique, Higher Education Research & Development, 19 (1), pp.89-102 Sawir, E. (2005), Language Difficulties of International Students

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Nyland, C. & Ramia, G. (2008). Loneliness and International Students :An Australian Story. Journal of Studeis in International Education, 12 (2),

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29

Thank you

Monash University

English Connect

Marta Spes-Skrbis

Marta.skrbis@monash.edu