Language barriers
Published: 6 April 2023
A student was worried about his ability to communicate and understand fellow students and staff during the field course.
While working as a Student Support Officer, I was contacted by a student who was worried about his ability to communicate and understand fellow students and staff during the field course. He felt that he would not be able to attend, learn from or enjoy the field class or achieve the intended learning outcomes. He was very anxious, and it was my task to support his preparation and to make sure he would feel confident enough to go into the field.
I suggested sharing his concerns with the field course coordinator, which we did in a meeting together. As a team, we discussed supporting him in the field – asking staff to check in regularly to make sure he felt able to follow, but also allowing him to use a digital translator. These open and honest conversations and our approach to try and find resolutions together gave the student enough confidence to attend the field class.
After the field course, the student explained to me that they were tired but had been able to communicate with others when they had feared that they would have been stuck on their own. They only used the digital translator on some occasions at the beginning of the field trip. By the end of the course were no longer using it. The course had been a mountain they did not want to scale initially.
By having conversations, and seeking solutions together, he made the decision to attend the field course. By being emersed in a challenging but supportive environment, he ultimately regained his confidence and improved on his language skills.
First published: 6 April 2023