TY - JOUR
T1 - Considering interlocutors in university discourse communities
T2 - Impacting U.S. undergraduates' perceptions of ITAs through a structured contact program
AU - Staples, Shelley
AU - Kang, Okim
AU - Wittner, Elizabeth
N1 - Funding Information:
This project was supported in part by a University of Virginia Learning Assessment Grant. We would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their helpful and insightful comments and suggestions.
Copyright:
Copyright 2014 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2014/7
Y1 - 2014/7
N2 - In discussions of non-native speakers in ESP settings, the importance of discourse communities has been emphasized (e.g., Hyland & Hamp-Lyons, 2002). Native speakers are often the primary members of these discourse communities, especially in inner circle countries such as the U.S. ITA (international teaching assistant) researchers and practitioners have long emphasized the importance of U.S. undergraduates in ITA program design (e.g., Bailey, 1982). ITA research shows that the attitudes of U.S. undergraduates impact their perception of ITAS' comprehensibility, accentedness, and teaching ability (e.g., Kang & Rubin, 2009). These negative perceptions can be mitigated by ITA programs which introduce opportunities for structured contact between undergraduates and international students. Structured contact programs can offer benefits to undergraduates, promote collaboration, and enjoy institutional support, among other features. The current study investigates the impact of this contact on U.S. undergraduate students' perceptions of ITAs' speech and teaching ability. In addition, specific details about the contact program are provided in order to offer suggestions to ITA coordinators. Findings have important implications for other ESP settings beyond the context of ITAs.
AB - In discussions of non-native speakers in ESP settings, the importance of discourse communities has been emphasized (e.g., Hyland & Hamp-Lyons, 2002). Native speakers are often the primary members of these discourse communities, especially in inner circle countries such as the U.S. ITA (international teaching assistant) researchers and practitioners have long emphasized the importance of U.S. undergraduates in ITA program design (e.g., Bailey, 1982). ITA research shows that the attitudes of U.S. undergraduates impact their perception of ITAS' comprehensibility, accentedness, and teaching ability (e.g., Kang & Rubin, 2009). These negative perceptions can be mitigated by ITA programs which introduce opportunities for structured contact between undergraduates and international students. Structured contact programs can offer benefits to undergraduates, promote collaboration, and enjoy institutional support, among other features. The current study investigates the impact of this contact on U.S. undergraduate students' perceptions of ITAs' speech and teaching ability. In addition, specific details about the contact program are provided in order to offer suggestions to ITA coordinators. Findings have important implications for other ESP settings beyond the context of ITAs.
KW - Contact program implementation
KW - Critical ESP and comprehensibility
KW - Intercultural communication
KW - International teaching assistants (ITAs)
KW - Native speaker perceptions of accent
KW - Teaching ability of ITAs
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U2 - 10.1016/j.esp.2014.02.002
DO - 10.1016/j.esp.2014.02.002
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84896309643
VL - 35
SP - 54
EP - 65
JO - English for Specific Purposes
JF - English for Specific Purposes
SN - 0889-4906
IS - 1
ER -