While studying at the university, I have acknowledged a range of different problems that I believe to be critical now. Previously, I just failed to realize that particular things and events can affect students’ lives adversely. However, now I want to focus on one big issue that I consider to be critical for many learners because it deals with the way they communicate with each other and share information. In particular, this problem solution assignment is going to discuss why students tend to always speak their first language in class if they are surrounded by individuals from different countries who cannot understand them. I am interested in this problem because it exists in my classroom. Being familiar with it, several students, including me, want to figure out why this issue occurs and how it can be overcome. To my mind, this problem can be considered by the following three disciplines. Education can discuss language preferences in class. Social anthropology may discuss students as a social structure to reveal the causes of the problem. Finally, linguistics may pay attention to learners’ communication.
Several significant questions related to the problem can be identified in order to discuss it.
Who is affected by the issue?
The use of students’ first language in a classroom may become a problem if a group consists of international learners. People who come from different countries tend to gather if they meet in the new environment. Being inspired by the feeling of togetherness, they tend to use their native language for communication. However, it is presupposed that students should use a common language while interacting so that they can be understood by others. In particular, educators encourage them to speak English, as all information is given in it and it is familiar to the whole class.
Where does it occur?
Of course, students may use any language when they want to communicate with one another. However, being in class, they should speak English so that they can be easily understood by their teacher and peers.
What are the effects of the issue?
Using their first language in a classroom, students make others feel rejected and cause confusion, which leads to misunderstanding and conflicts.
Why does this problem occur?
Recently, during a class discussion, my instructor made students work on a group project. Many of them were from Turkey, Korea, and Mongolia. Nevertheless, the majority of learners came from China. As there were more Chinese students than learners from other counties, they would speak their first language while being in a classroom even though they were not understood by the rest of students. The same situation is observed in other groups, as my university is full of international students.
What is a possible solution?
Probably, if all students use only English while communicating in class, it will make them start speaking English all the time. Thus, they will be understood by the rest of the learners all the time. This change is likely to enhance student relationships and communication skills.
In class, students are supposed to speak to speak to each other and to share information, but it is not possible because they tend to use their native languages almost all the time. Personally, I believe that this fact has a negative impact on students’ relationships and their education. International students who come to the classroom expect that they will be communicating in English. As the second language is rarely used, they feel confused. On the basis of my own experience, I can say that these individuals tend to believe that they are neglected by others, and it is impossible for them to feel that they are a part of a group unless the situation alters.
The majority defines what language will be used during communication. However, I think that even if we do not speak English all the time but minorities do, we will start using it more and more with the course of time. I noticed that the necessity to get in touch with other learners made me use English rarely. However, when I got with them, I started speaking English more often. Now, my group mates use our second language when we have group projects or presentations.
Many people need to learn English if they want to study in the desired university because no classes are held in their native language. However, they cannot forget about their culture, and they tend to use their first language while communicating. Nevertheless, it is not right to allow international students to avoid speaking English in class because it can distract them from the necessity to learn English and start thinking in it. Thus, it is better to develop particular rules for students to follow them at least during in-class activities.
In this way, it can be concluded that learners should not use their native language while working on group projects. Even communicating with those students who have the same first language (Chinese, for instance), they should speak English in class to ensure that everyone can participate in discussion and understand information that is shared among students.