Journal of Languages for Specific Purposes (Mar 2021)
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AND LANGUAGES FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES: THE RESULTS OF A STUDY ON INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF TEACHING AND LEARNING LSP
Abstract
The number of international students enrolled in higher education worldwide has increased significantly in the past few decades, as one of the effects of globalization, as OECD statistics reveal (OECD, 2018). After finishing secondary education, many students decide to take the opportunity provided by their countries and foreign universities and enrol in the tertiary education system far away from their homes. Inevitably, this leads to numerous intercultural challenges teachers have to face nowadays in culturally diverse classrooms. It is important to note, however, that the particular issues and objectives arising in multicultural and multinational groups tend to differ between the various stages of education. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the findings of the first phase of a longitudinal research study conducted at the Medical School of the University of Pécs, Hungary, throughout the spring semester of the academic year 2018/19. The primary goal of the study is to collect, assess and evaluate the specific teaching methods and attitudes multicultural students deem most effective while studying Languages for Specific Purposes, and make suggestions for their application in multicultural classroom settings. An online questionnaire was filled out by 133 international medical students, who were attending Hungarian for Medical Purposes (HMP) courses at the time of the survey. The results suggest that, in many cases, their needs and requirements are quite similar, regardless of the differences between their cultural background and national heritage. They prefer sitting and working in groups, collaborating rather than competing, writing tests instead of taking an oral exam, and the majority would like to have online access to the course materials. They also, almost unanimously, indicate a strong preference for using their gadgets and devices during classes, and even for homework and individual practice. These findings imply that, no matter the country of origin, international students have shared views and preferences on the methods they find most effective for their learning, which assists teachers in tailoring their classes to their needs and requirements.
