Open AccessLecture Comprehension in English-Medium Higher Education
Author(s) -
Glenn Ole Hellekjær
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
hermes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.759
H-Index - 7
eISSN - 1903-1785
pISSN - 0904-1699
DOI - 10.7146/hjlcb.v23i45.97343
Subject(s) - norwegian , german , vocabulary , meaning (existential) , mathematics education , english vocabulary , listening comprehension , psychology , comprehension , english language , foreign language , active listening , linguistics , philosophy , communication , psychotherapist
In European higher education the growing number of English-Medium (EM) courses, i.e. non-language subjects taught through English, has led to discussion about, and research on, whether the use of a foreign language for instruction has a negative impact on teaching and learning. The present quantitative study investigates this issue by comparing student lecture comprehension in English and the rst language (L1) at three Norwegian and two German institutions of higher education, with a sample comprising 364 Norwegian and 47 German student respondents. It compares self-assessment scores for lecture comprehension in English and the L1. Analysis shows that while the difference between English and L1 scores was not substantial, a considerable number of students still had difculties understanding the English-Medium lectures. Among the main problems, which in fact were similar in English and the L1, were difculties distinguishing the meaning of words, unfamiliar vocabulary, and difculties taking notes while listening to lectures. The study argues the need to improve the quality of lecturing in English and L1 as well as the lecturers’ and students’ English prociency.