The University of Nebraska-Lincoln  is a very international campus. We have quite a few teachers and teaching assistants for whom English is not a first language. It could even be their third or fourth language. Some students complain about not being able to understand their accents.

Here, in Morocco, my teachers who teach us Arabic and French are all at least on their third language. Our teachers, at their own expense, spent time at the American Language Institute to be able to teach English-speaking students here in Morocco. They now can teach their subject fluidly to their American students. The more they teach, the more their English and slang improves with help from their pupils.

The French teacher I had here for the first semester was an older gentleman who has been teaching for 40 years and could speak only some simple English but was able to make his point known. Unfortunately, he didn’t  understand with my French as well. I wouldn’t  get a full sentence out of my mouth before he would correct both my grammar and pronunciation. Yes, we were in French class, but shouldn’t I get the respect of at least trying to get my thoughts out before they need to be correctly arranged? I was  frustrated with my teacher and myself.

Sooner or later, I stopped trying in class for fear of constantly being corrected and always being wrong. When he did ask me for answers, I would mumble my answers. This habit made the jump into my French outside of class, causing me to mumble my speech, so then my already rough French was made worse with  this terrible habit. After that first summer semester was over, I quickly took notice and corrected it, but I never said anything to my teacher. For many days, I was patient to listen to him explain something in English without correcting his pronunciation in the middle of his speech. I would later clarify what he said. This is a major role reversal compared to home.

Our UNL international teachers usually  instruct a large number of undergraduates for 100- or 200-level classes, mostly required classes. What is the biggest complaint about the teachers within the first week? The students don’t understand the teacher’s accent. Is it an immediate reaction that when the students see an Asian or African teacher, the students just tune them out? This is possible. Many students do not let their teacher even finish a sentence before they are tuned out. Consequently, the students give terrible evaluations of their teachers. How can teachers, who are trying their hardest to teach a subject, teach effectively when they don’t understand why their students aren’t responding to them? Their accents can be a bit of a roadblock, but the students allow them to be.

What is needed in both these situations is a little more communication and an open mind, no matter which language or nationality it is. I am constantly accused of being an idealist, believing that both sides can fix quite a few things, or at least that the other person will know where you are coming from in a confusing situation or argument. When teachers are not getting their point across so you can understand it, ask them to re-explain it. If you missed a word they were saying, ask them to spell it in English and help them pronounce it. How difficult is it to politely have an adult conversation with your teacher? Difficult, considering that I’m a hypocrite and lecturing my readers about this. The point of this is: learn from my mistake. Your teachers are here to teach, you are here to learn. There is a common ground that must be reached, so help on both sides is required. The teachers are learning and working on their English, so you as students should help them by being there and encouraging them and asking questions. Don’t put up roadblocks.