Xref: utzoo comp.edu:1834 sci.math:5327 sci.physics:5496
Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!pdn!reggie
From: reggie@pdn.UUCP (George W. Leach)
Newsgroups: comp.edu,sci.math,sci.physics
Subject: Re: Student preparedness
Message-ID: <5314@pdn.UUCP>
Date: 11 Jan 89 11:46:21 GMT
References: <4893@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> <6435@killer.DALLAS.TX.US> <558@mccc.UUCP> <3350@arcturus> <18958@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
Reply-To: reggie@pdn.UUCP (George W. Leach)
Organization: Paradyne Corporation,   Largo FL
Lines: 34

In article <18958@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> matloff@iris.ucdavis.edu (Norm Matloff) writes:

>In my experience, the problem is not really with the person's ENGLISH
>as it is with his/her GENERAL communication skills.  In other words,
>I think that most foreigners who are poor teachers in English would
>also be poor teachers in their native language.


     [description of problem and solution deleted]



      Another factor may the cultural differences between students and the
instructor.  In many countries the instructor lectures and the students
hang on every word, paying maximum attention.  However, I think that the
American students are more likely to stop an instructor and ask questions
that may put them on the spot or require them to try another explaination.
For some instructors this is a difficult thing to get used to.


      None the less, there are too many foreign instructors out there who
*do* have very poor english skills.  In fact, there are many foreign students
who enter US universities without adequate english skills as well.  I know
that some universities are really pressed for help, but something needs to
be done to get these people to a level of english that does not inhibit 
others or themselves.



-- 
George W. Leach					Paradyne Corporation
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