Language as a Declining Issue in Independent Learning Development

Knowing the persistence of English language issue, the results in the current study revealed different results as the data emergently clarified. Thus, it is possible to compare students‘ previous comments and the ways they ultimately overcame their part-language problems with the passage of time. In fact, language progressively became a non-issue to a greater extent as skills improved.

Students‘ lower level of English language ability is troubling enough to prevent them from participating in IL activities which is helpful in improving their English language skills. However, less participation in English language activities causes students to revert back to their native community for communication rather than active involvement to bolster IL development.

135

Students‘ previous comments also justify their commitments towards enhancing their language skills, which does require some direction from teachers in order to overcome language issues more progressively – which in return does improve students‘ abilities to develop IL skills. Such results underpin the declining nature of the language issue in IL development; but they also indicate that language difficulties persist, if not addressed right away, and can cause IL complications. As one student in this study commented:

―In my case, language issue was very severe at the beginning but later on, it was not a major issue. I still face … problems both in writing while speaking was much easier at later stages … language issue is mostly temporary ... I am more confident to learn [independently].‖

This excerpt typifies the nature of the language problems that Asian students, in particular, bring with them to the UK. It is not a surprise, however, that they cope better with the language issue in later stages of study and this decline also means improvement in IL strategies. Another student commented:

―During my entire period of study [of my] in prior learning in home country, language was an issue … whilst in UK I learnt how to write successfully and correct my writing and improve my speaking… I am learning myself … although the standard of writing (the one required at my university) is much [more] difficult than speaking. ... I tell you why that is… because we never get marks for oral communication but we are always assessed for what we write.‖ Such comments, though, explain the scale of the language problem found during students‘ prior learning experiences which have in fact exacerbated the IL issue. In the case of UK-based learning, the issue is more closely related to writing than to speaking; it also represents the degree of importance given to oral and written skills in the UK where speaking skills are considered secondary to writing. Students mentioned that writing is more difficult than speaking because oral skills are not assessed in the UK, and are not necessary for learning independently. This distinction does not mean that students are unable to meet university requirements; rather, it refers to the difficulties they encounter in the course of their IL process of studying. It is again interesting to note the declining nature of language problems because the students are ultimately able to develop academic language skills and hence improve their IL abilities.

136

Despite a realisation of the decreasing nature of the language issue in IL, from the students‘ perspective, a dilemma appears that writing is more seen as valuable than speaking because the former is assessed, demonstrated while learning by themselves and formalised which may, in fact, be part of the problem. Communication and conversation/debate are important parts of the learning process for students; thus, if oral skills are not developed and students do not overcome the hesitation in communication with each other or their tutors, they will find it more difficult to improve their IL skills.

Interestingly students who expressed that they lacked writing ability linked the problem to minimal interest in their prior learning, lack of direction from tutors and those prior learning assessments in which teachers did not take much interest; in contrast, academic writing is highly-valued in the UK and students are assessed for what is written – this written assessment aids the development of IL skills. This comparison, in between prior and UK learning, can be drawn to reveal the level of the language issue and development of IL skills; which appears to be decreasing in UK learning, however not in prior learning because it was not given enough assessment-based attention nor emphasised in IL activities. Such contradictions would certainly raise anxiety at the beginning and prove difficult for students at the transitional level – when students come to the UK - without training in academic writing and IL skills. Hence we know that although language is a declining issue over time, there are consequences in terms of time, anxiety and, sometimes, failure. All this indicates a potential way and timely solution to overcome the language issue even if it is declining in nature. At the same time, overcoming the language skills would mean providing students a realistic opportunity to develop IL skills.

Student views that support and guidance work to minimise the tension in the transition to UK requirements are, thus, differently and generically portrayed in the literature; in the current study, students specifically referred to language support as the primary element for enhancing and sustaining IL skills and overcoming the associated issue in language. Hence, we find no difference between those who speak English as a second language and those as a foreign language in developing the IL skills. For speakers of English as a second or foreign language, it is normally sufficient to write and express

137

something; at the same time, however, it is difficult to communicate well – a primary IL situation in which students are required to demonstrate their skills.

I as a researcher myself experienced this dilemma during my prior degree coursework in the UK, during which it was easier to acquire speaking skills than writing ability. This may be due to the fact that speaking involves ‗inclusive participation‘ in social and learning settings where everyone uses English to exchange ideas. Regarding academic writing, I was unaware at the beginning about topics and methods of academic writing and the way IL was required. At the same time, research articles and specialist text books gradually exposed me to IL and academic writing, a ‗non-inclusive participation‘ process– where students, in general, do not come across the patterns of academic writing that others use. Thus, the lack of written skills among students is identified as a result of continuous assessment methods in the UK which is not common in students‘ prior learning practice, as they revealed.

The notion of the declining nature of language has many other possibilities, particularly language inadequacy. Cultural and social commitments – where students associate with colleagues from their home country rather than with British students – can result in a lack of interaction in both speaking and writing. Whilst it is a widespread perception among students before embarking on their studies that British culture presents many opportunities for everyone to enhance communication skills, very few actually enhance their writing skills in a shorter period of study; however, this is a temporary state and often improves over time as a result of the process of developing IL skills.

Mapping the research question (see Section: 1.1) relative to the language issue among selected students, the emerging themes of poor spoken and written language skills have strong links with prior learning experience. At the same time, it is surprising to note that students also considered support had a vital role in overcoming the necessary language skills, despite their test scores (IELTS & TOFEL etc.) upon entering HE. These test score results are indicative of the educational differences in approaches to learning in the prior and UK academic settings. That is why students have strong views in relation

138

to the impact of language and support over IL skills, which are analysed in the coming sections.