Student Perceptions, Problems and Strategies in Second Language Lecture Comprehension

Abstract

This paper adopts an ethnographic approach to the study of second language lecture comprehension. It studies a group of 30 1st year Hong Kong Chinese students listening to lectures in a B.A. TESL methods course. Data was collected regarding the lecture comprehension experience of these students by means of questionnaires, diary studies, classroom observation, and in-depth interviews. The analysis of this data focuses on students' perceptions of the lecture experience (attitude, self-rating of comprehension level, what students look for in a lecture, etc.), their problems (speed of delivery, terminology and concepts, concentration, etc.) and the strategies they use to try to overcome these problems (pre- and post-lecture reading, peer or lecturer help, attempts to concentrate harder, note-taking, etc.). As well as providing important information for the program in ques tion, the results of this study, it is claimed, have wider implications for both lecturers to non-natives and ESL specialists preparing students to study through the medium of English.