accents
Dear Editor,
I am writing this article in response to the “Our View” section in the Friday, January 31st edition of the Statesman.
In this article, it is stated that we, as students should be responsible for our own learning and we should make the extra effort to understand our teacher’s accent. It also states that the reason why we need to do this is because the business world is constantly expanding and we need to be in touch with other cultures.
Ok!!! I do agree that we as students are fully responsible for our success in school. I have a 3.9 GPA as a computer science undergrad. I understand completely what it means to work for what you get. Secondly, I do agreee that we need to be in touch with diversity. I have many friends who are not “American” born.
The concern that I have is that USU is using their foreign grad students to just fill up the lower level classes. For example, I have a certain math class this semester that is taught by an oriental teacher. I really respect him and he definitely knows what he is talking about, but I feel very umcomfortable asking him to clarify what he is saying because he simply lacks the vocabulary skills to effectively clarify the concern that I am having.
I think a solution for this would be to have a stricter screening process for the foreign teachers. If they lack the language skills than they shouldn’t be teaching period. This is an American Institution on USA soil and that means the classes should be taught(if it is not a language class) in clear understandable English. I am sorry, but I did not pay tuition for a math class to try and interpret what my teacher is trying to say. I read the book, and I do my homework, but I just don’t agree with or like the fact that I have to find all the answers myself and that my teacher couldn’t clarfiy things if I asked him.
Something needs to be done. I am all for diversity and I love other cultures, but this is a concern that needs to be addressed. Many others feel the same way. Believe me, I have asked. Thank you for your time.
Justin Banksjustinebanks@hotmail.com801-592-3735