If you always keep company with people from your own country, you run the risk of not improving your English. - Anastasia
International students often report some language difficulties when they first arrive in the UK. This is not surprising as, for many of you, it will be your first stay in an English-speaking country. In addition, the higher level of studies that you are about to start will probably make considerable linguistic demands on you.
In these activities you will listen to some international students and tutors talking about typical language challenges that students face when they first arrive. You will also assess how prepared you are for such challenges and explore different ways of improving your English language skills before you come to the UK.
Listening to language experiences
You are going to watch a video in which two international students and a tutor describe typical language and cultural challenges faced by students when they first arrive in the UK. They also suggest some ways of dealing with these challenges.
Instruction
Watch the video extract and from the dropdown lists select the various problems and solutions mentioned by each speaker. Some have already been done for you as an example. You can watch the video as many times as you need to. When you have finished choosing all the items, check your answers and read the feedback.
To watch the video, click the play button once, or select the video and press the space bar. You can pause the video with the space bar.
You can make your selection using the dropdown menus. If you change your mind, you can still change your selection.
There is a transcript for you to look at if you need help: Video transcript (pdf, 66 kb).
Problems: Fear of speaking in everyday situations
Solutions:
Problems: Not being confident or fluent in the language
Solution: More language competence leads to a fuller and richer experience
Problems: Keeping company with people from your own country
Solution:
Here are the answers to the listening activity:
Problems: Fear of speaking in everyday situations Needing to prepare what to say before entering shops Solutions: Join social activities organised by the Students' Union Learn how to communicate with English people Gain confidence from speaking
Problems: Not being confident or fluent in the language Only meeting local people who speak your language Staying 'safe' by only mixing with people from the same country Solution: More language competence leads to a fuller and richer experience
Problems: Keeping company with people from your own country Risk of not improving your English Risk of excluding other people and living as if on an 'island' Solution: Get a balance in terms of who you socialise with
The main view expressed in this video is that communicating represents one of the first challenges that many international students face when they arrive in the UK. The speakers emphasise the need to take risks and practise speaking in order to gain confidence and improve fluency. They also point out that international students starting their studies in the UK should try to socialise with native speakers and other English-speaking students as much as possible and not only with their fellow countrymen.
If you have not thought about this before, you may wish to consider what strategies you can use to make sure that you get the most out of your contact with English speakers when you arrive.
Watch the video extract again with the transcript above if you need to check your understanding. The parts of the transcript containing the answers to the listening task are highlighted.
Are you ready for the language challenge?
You are going to assess how prepared you are for the language challenge that lies ahead. You will also find out what you can do to prepare yourself before coming to the UK.
Instruction
Think about each of these statements relating to your own experience of using the English language and select the button next to the tick or the cross before reading the feedback.
To make a selection, click next to the tick if the statement is true for you or next to the cross if it is not true. You can click again if you wish to change your answer.
I find opportunities to practise speaking English each week.
During your studies and in your daily life in the UK you will need to speak English. By practising speaking before you come, you can help yourself to develop some fluency in the spoken language. If you do not have contact with native English speakers, you can still practise with other English-speaking friends in your country or even talk aloud to yourself in English occasionally to develop your confidence in speaking.
I read newspapers, magazines or other literature in English to keep up to date with language in use.
Reading popular literature in English can help you develop your vocabulary and general cultural awareness. Magazines and some daily newspapers are particularly useful for providing examples of informal English in everyday use, especially idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs. Reading more formal kinds of literature can help you to develop the more formal vocabulary that you will need for academic writing.
I have a fair understanding of informal spoken style which includes some phrasal verbs, idiomatic language and slang.
International students often find it a challenge at first to understand what many British students are saying in conversation. This is because informal spoken English makes use of a lot of idiomatic language and it is not always easy to guess the meaning of this. However, you will quickly get used to this kind of language when you start mixing with and speaking to British students. After a while you will probably even find that you start using the same kind of language yourself!
I have spoken with native speakers of English before.
Unless you have spoken a lot with native speakers of English before you might find that you struggle to keep up with or take full part in a conversation with native speakers at first. If there are opportunities for you to practise your English with native speakers before coming to the UK, it is important to take them so that you are prepared for the challenge of speaking.
I have experienced listening to English speakers with different accents.
Speaking with native speakers of English can be a rather different experience to speaking English with your teacher or classmates in your home country. International students are sometimes surprised by the range of accents they hear among native speakers of English when they start their university studies in the UK. It can take a while for your ear to become attuned but gradually your understanding will improve.
I listen to English language radio or watch television programmes regularly.
If you have access to English language programmes on the radio or television, these provide a good way of improving your listening skills before you come to the UK.
I use resources on the internet to improve my English language.
The internet also contains a huge range of English languages resources, many of which are free, and these can be used to improve your English before you arrive.
I've written course assignments in English before.
Planning and writing your course assignments at university in the UK will probably present the biggest challenge in your academic life. You may be required to write assignments that are up to 5000 words in length, and significantly longer if you are doing a masters dissertation or a doctoral thesis. It will be helpful if you have had any experience of writing formal English before and are familiar with the conventions of academic writing in English.
I've listened to a live lecture or formal talk in English before.
Listening to a 'live' lecture or formal talk for 40 minutes or more in English can be quite demanding. A lecture may include a PowerPoint presentation or handouts from the speaker, but even so, you may find that understanding lectures in your subject area requires intensive concentration from you. At university in the UK you will also be expected to make notes (in English) during lectures and so it is useful if you have had some practice at doing this. An easy way to practise listening to lectures and note-taking is to find lecture recordings on the internet that you can use for this purpose.
Would you like to review the main points?
One of the first language challenges that international students often report when they begin living and studying in the UK is speaking. The challenge of speaking and of listening and understanding are usually the first skills that international students also notice an improvement in. Once study begins, students often become more aware of the challenges presented by academic reading and writing in English. You can help yourself prepare for these challenges by working to improve your English language skills as much as possible before you come.
You may also be invited (or required) to attend a pre-sessional course at the institution where you will be studying during the summer. Pre-sessional courses are a very useful way of getting your English language skills up to the level needed for your future studies. They also provide an opportunity to start experiencing British academic culture first hand and to make friends.
Listening to language experiences
once, or select the video and press the space bar. You can pause the video with the space bar.
Are you ready for the language challenge?
or the cross 
before reading the feedback.
