My son is taking a university course this summer in order to complete his degree by the end of the year. He and his friends are having a hard time understanding the lecturer who has a very strong accent and poor English. What do you think can be done to remedy this situation?
Education consultant Florence Robertson replies:
Although you may be upset about this situation, especially since you are paying high fees for your son's summer course, let him decide how to resolve this problem. You will want to discuss it with your son and show your support but the final decision should be his.
Your son and his friends need to handle this situation with sensitivity. At first, they might try reviewing their lecture notes together to be sure that they have grasped the total lecture. They probably will have acquired all the key points of the lecture collectively. If this method proves helpful, they can continue with it as often as needed. As the course continues, your son and his friends will understand the lecturer better as they will have become accustomed to his accent.
If this method of reviewing the lecture reveals that your son and his friends have missed a lot of the lecture or have misunderstood it, they need to speak to the lecturer. Although your son and his friends may find it difficult to discuss the problem with him, in fairness to the lecturer and your son and his friends, it needs to be done.
They can say positive things to the lecturer such as they enjoy the subject and they want to do well in it but they are having difficulty catching all the details. The lecturer might want them to be specific and they will need to be honest but tactful. They could point out that they are not used to his particular accent.