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Prof. Tony Lynch - The Importance of Listening to International Students

The University of Edinburgh・2 minutes read

Professor Tony Lynch, an expert in applied linguistics, emphasizes the importance of listening skills for international students to succeed academically and socially. He outlines various strategies and adjustments in communication, highlighting the need for educators to provide accessible examples and create a conducive learning environment for diverse learners.

Insights

  • Professor Tony Lynch's research emphasizes the significance of listening comprehension for international students in academic settings, highlighting the intricate process of negotiation of meaning, interactive adjustments in communication, and the impact of listening skills on academic success and social interactions.
  • Student feedback underscores the importance of lecturers controlling their speaking speed, adapting examples to consider cultural differences, creating a relaxed atmosphere, and observing signs of difficulty, indicating a need for educators to make adjustments in lectures to enhance student engagement and understanding, potentially utilizing online resources for continual learning and improvement.

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Recent questions

  • How does listening comprehension impact international students?

    Listening comprehension plays a crucial role in the academic success of international students. It allows them to access academic knowledge, improve informal language learning, and enhance their overall English skills. Poor listening skills can have psychological effects and hinder social interactions, making it essential for international students to develop strong listening abilities to thrive in academic environments.

  • What adjustments do speakers make in communication for better understanding?

    Speakers make various adjustments in communication to aid comprehension, including confirmation checks, comprehension checks, clarification requests, repetition, reformulation, completion, and backtracking. They also provide more descriptive details, explicit logical links, and fill in assumed gaps to ensure better understanding for listeners, especially for those with different levels of comprehension.

  • Why is informal listening and speaking important for international students?

    Informal listening and speaking encounters are vital for international students as they provide opportunities to improve English skills outside the classroom. These interactions help students practice real-life communication, understand informal language nuances, and enhance their overall language proficiency in a more relaxed and natural setting, contributing to their language development.

  • What advice do students provide for lecturers to improve communication?

    Students suggest various ways for lecturers to enhance communication, such as controlling the speed of speaking, observing signs of difficulty, and providing accessible examples. Recommendations also include creating a relaxed atmosphere, adjusting lecture content, and incorporating online materials to improve student engagement and understanding, highlighting the importance of adapting teaching methods to meet students' needs.

  • How can educators support international students in continual learning and improvement?

    Educators can direct international students to explore free specialist academic lectures available on various websites to practice and experience similar to distance learning courses. These resources offer a wide range of subjects and topics, including video lectures, funded by religious Americans, constantly expanding to provide students with opportunities for continual learning and improvement outside traditional classroom settings.

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Summary

00:00

Enhancing Communication: Importance of Listening in Academia

  • Professor Tony Lynch has an MA in modern languages from the University of Cambridge, a post-graduate teaching diploma in teaching English as a second language from the University of Leeds, and an MSE and PhD in Applied Linguistics from the University of Edinburgh.
  • He has been at the University since 1980, holding various teaching positions and is currently the head of the English for academic purposes section.
  • Lynch's research focuses on communication between native and non-native English speakers in academic settings, resulting in three books for language teachers.
  • His recent papers cover topics like International students' informal listening strategies, recycling classroom communication tasks, and feedback in improving students' spoken English.
  • Lynch will discuss the importance of listening to International students in his lecture.
  • Listening comprehension involves three levels of knowledge: schematic knowledge, context, and language.
  • When listening to a foreign language, individuals often rely heavily on language, leading to potential misunderstandings.
  • Negotiation of meaning or conversational repair is how speakers adjust grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and nonverbal cues to aid comprehension.
  • Adjustments in interaction include confirmation checks, comprehension checks, clarification requests, repetition, reformulation, completion, and backtracking.
  • Speakers also make adjustments in information choice by providing more descriptive details, explicit logical links, and filling in assumed gaps for better understanding.

21:15

Adapting Communication for International Student Success

  • Native speakers adapt their communication based on the listener's sociocultural knowledge gaps.
  • Different levels of listeners interpret gestures like head scratching differently.
  • Speakers adjust their information based on the listener's comprehension level.
  • A conversation between international students showcases interactive adjustments in communication.
  • Listening comprehension can fail in various ways for listeners.
  • Listening skills significantly impact academic success for international students.
  • The importance of listening skills lies in accessing academic knowledge and informal language learning.
  • Listening skills are crucial for international students' academic outcomes.
  • Poor listening skills can lead to psychological effects and hinder social interactions.
  • Informal listening and speaking encounters are vital for improving English skills outside the classroom.

43:09

Enhancing Lectures for Student Engagement and Comprehension

  • Students were asked to select the three most important items from a list of 12 and provide additional advice for lecturers.
  • "Control your speed of speaking" was the most frequently chosen advice by students.
  • Suggestions included slowing down, repeating information, and being conscious of listeners' comprehension.
  • Signs of difficulty were mentioned as important, although not specified by students.
  • Selecting and adapting examples, especially considering cultural differences, was highlighted.
  • Creating a relaxed atmosphere was suggested, with varying opinions on humor in lectures.
  • Students also mentioned timing issues and the use of supplementary materials.
  • Language formality and assumptions of shared knowledge were raised as concerns.
  • Recommendations included slowing down speech, observing signs of difficulty, and ensuring accessible examples.
  • Adjustments to lectures, such as less content and online materials, were proposed to enhance student engagement and understanding.

01:03:15

Free academic lectures for continual student learning.

  • Various websites offer free specialist academic lectures for students to practice and experience similar to distance learning courses, some including video lectures; despite being funded by religious Americans, these sites provide a wide range of subjects and topics, constantly expanding, suggesting educators direct students to explore these resources for continual learning and improvement.
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