DOCUMENT RESUME ED 082 570 FL 004 427 AUTHOR Johnson, R. K.; And Others TITLE A Report on Language Problems of Tertiary Level Students Using English as a Second Language in Papua New Guinea. Teaching Methods and Materials Centre Research Report 19. INSTITUTION Papua anl New Guinea Univ., Port Moresby. Teaching Methods and Materials Centre. PUB DATE Jan 73 NOTE 64p. EDRS PRICE MF$0.65 HC$3.29 DESCRIPTORS *Educational Strategies; *English (Second Language); *Higher Education; *Instructional Improvement; Language Tests; Phonology; Reading Ability; Reading Achievement; Reading Comprehension; Reading Improvement; Reading Research; Reading Skills; Research Methodology; Semantics; Speech Skills; Syntax; Vocabulary Development; Vocabulary Skills; Word Study Skills IDENTIFIERS *Papua New Guinea ABSTRACT This is a collection of comments and research on the problems of students studying at the tertiary level through the medium of a second language. It includes sections on vacabulary, reading skills, syntax, and speech. It also contains several studies of actual students and conditions at the University of Papua and New Guinea. (HW) AN944444 LANGUAGE PROELEMS 4 Tvaz Levd 944044441,z4/ 64,4441, 4See-08411.411444iC. Pam Ntw U.S. OEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION & WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN ATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE SENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTED; EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY ty. 16104444n4 TEACHING METHODS AND MATERIALS CENTRE RESEARCH REPORT 19 FACULTY OF EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF PAPUA ANDNEW GUINEA 1972 FILMED FROM BEST AVAILABLE COPY I N T R O D U C T I O N It is hoped that this collection of comment and research on the problems of students studying at tertiary level through the medium of a second language (L2) will prove interesting and useful both to those who are new to this situation and to those who are already well aware that such problems exist. Wherever possible, comments are related to and supported by specific re- search carried out with tertiary level students in Papua New Guinea. Where the relevant research is my own, findings nave been incorporated into articles covering various aspects of language; research carried out by others is reproduced in full or in part. I wish to thank John Jones, and John and Elizabeth Price of the University of Papua New GuiLea, and Pamela Riley and Sue Argent of the Institute of Technology for permission to use their work. R.K. JOHNSON January 1973 CONTENTS page VOCABULARY - 'SURVIVAL TACTICS IN THE FACE OF THE INCOMPREHENSIBLE' 1 READING SKILLS 6 A PRELIMINARY STUDY OF READING SKILLS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA 7 John R Price lad Elizabeth IC Price DISCUSSION 15 READING SKILLS 19 EFFECTIVENESS OP THREE METHODS OF INCREASING READING RATE AND COMPREHENSION 21 - P.IAL Rliey and S< I. Argent READING SKILLS 3 30 COMPREHENSION 0? SOME COMMONLY-USED WORDS - A STUDY WITH TERTIARY STUDENTS IN PAPUA. NEW GUINEA 32 John Jones SYNTAX - 'WORDS, WORDS, WORDS. IF ONLY IT WERE THAT SIMPLE.' 47 SPEECH 54 SUMMARY 61 0,0000090 VOCABULARY - 'SURVIVAL TACTICS IN THE FACE OF THE INCOMPREHENSIBLE' One of the problems which resu:ts from the use of a second language as the medium of instruction that students have to adopt !earning strategies related to the pecu.a.'iesof that situation. An example of such strateg- ies in operation is given beiow, Pupils learn very early In primary school, from their first day in -act, to foerate a high degree of incomprehension. Not understanding what Is going on or what the teacher is saying may make I ife :e%strating for the but ,tis part of his every-day experience, and he accepts it as such. What is crucial however is survivalin the educ- ational rat-race, and survival depends primarily cn remembering the right answ3rs, and on not admittng to a lack of understanding. Tertiary level students who are the products of a second language education system are those who have survived in these circamstances, notwithstanding that they may have acquired other more valyab:e learning sfateg4es along the way, This article also illustrates problems of vocabulary control, the only gen- erally recognised and researched aspect of the preparation of materials for second language speakers, though little of this research has been applied at tertiary level. it is obvious enough that the second language speaker norm- ally has a very restrictei vocabulary; just how restricted is not always realised, and the following may he!p to ciar;fy the issue, Aftar six year of primary senoo education, students entering secon;lary school in Papua New Gunea aTe considered to nave a recogriiic. vocabulary of tatween !,000 and 2,000 English words.. There is a considerable amount of reading material available which is specially written for this level, ar.d by Form III we can assume that the- level will be between 2,000 and 3000 words. During Forms llt and IV, students are usually expected to make the jump to unsimplified materials, and those who will be continuing to tertiary level should be amongst those who manage the jump successfully, Nevertheless enthusiasm for 2 reading tends to fall off as a result and also pressure of work increasingly limits the time available for general reading; so if we assume that stu- dents double their recognition vocabulary to 5,000 words by the beginning of tertiary education we may be being over optimistic. This gives the second language speaker a-recognition vocabulary equivalent to the productive vocab- ulary of the native speaker, but brings him nowhere near the native speaker's estimated 40,000 word recognition vocabulary. The student is faced then at tertiary level with the problem of making up this leeway as well as dealing with the 'special -ised1 vocabularies of a number of disciplines. To complicate his task further, he has the speech and writ- ings of academics to deal with: a group who have a much wider vocabulary than average, and who, all too often, feel a professional pride in demon- strating the fact. The following passage was adapted by G.P. McGregor to illustrate to a teachers' conference The plight of students working in a second language. His students were at the beginning of secondary school with a vocabulary of less than 2,000 words, and McGregor's procedure was to substitute nonsense words for any word in the original version not included in A General Service List of English Words (edited by Michael West, published by Longmans) which is based upon word frequency counts and lists the 2,000 'most important' headwords of English. This is a level considerably below tertiary, but the problems facing our students may not be very different. u .....Musuais formed by the action of crimo-gorgosasms on syllybose, etc., in plant remains, by the breakdown of the gigbom of plants and also from the sighfeelia of soil spunjeye. It has nobiodal properties including great water zubarding power. The sizfikkle and agricultural properties of the soil are a gumshut of its collifloatid and quantit- ative composition. Small tarpickles cause tepontion of and relative pimnoniability to water, while large tarpickles have the verserve effect....." As wth a first reading oflewis'CarroHTs Jahbeivocky ("Ttwas brilligi and the siithy 1-oves etc"), there is. a tee;-ing that what you are reading i mean- and :f .someone asked xhether on' not !t made 3.3se ;it wou!d=be herd to'say 'Not uhequvocal;y, Hcsver, f asked whether we understand it the ansWer must be Perhaps yr s nc great surprise. to ;earn that when a passage cotaihs More Then a fair! EmaH rwmbar of :unknown words it becc:mes incomprehensible . it is surprisng, and i3a7mn-g to discar how esSily the :skilled survivor can disguise his ieck- of (..omprenensioniF he feeis tha itis in his interests to do se,. Since a tertiary ievei student n Papua New Guinea !s The survivcr of a particary grue!iing ed:2oatonaf:-.at -race, and since ai 1his previous experence has taught him 7hai. ths is H his Ntef-esfs, he wi have to be activey cor,vil.zed the This ino chger the,ca: imagine that The passage given above is part of -6 handout consoientious!y prepat-ed for a iectu.re, and That the 5sctner is now going cve,v the material. H whether hiSEtuderts E:N.! fo-Howi-nc They obk e.bit waiI-eyed ...pc he dec:des to ask al'Toi cuestons,. Lectuzer: How is musua,.formed, A? A:. By the of im-g5Igosasms on syllybosein plant zemaimi, Lecturer: Yes. Crim-gcgosasms oi aearly got .1.?. right. Say it again. (The lecturer has a genuir cnee..cn o improve his student' English.) CrimcgorgosaSms Lec.turer: Good, What ales? B? The breakdown of the.gigbom'oi plants and the .ighfeelia of scil spunleye, 4 C: (A survivor first class) The breakdown of the gigbom of plants: that's done by crimo-gorgosasns too is it? (He isn't just trying to impress. He has found that the answer to a question like this sometimes gives a hint as to what the lecturer is talking about. This time he's unlucky.) Lecturer: Yes. What effect do tarpickles have? D: (Also very professional) Small ones cause pimnoniability and large ones don't. Lecturer: Relatively speaking, relatively. (Most students are less adept than C and D and, like A and B stick fairly closely to the original wording. They pro- bably are credited with greater precision of mind as a result.) The lecturer is more than satisfied and continues for the next fifty minutes without requiring any further evidence of understanding from his students.