Language barriers disguised as boredom
It happens where a student who is not terribly proficient in English will exhibit symptoms of boredom. I've learned that it's not boredom as much as confusion. Imagine being in a situation where everyone around you is speaking a foreign language that you don't understand. Sorry to say this, but it sometimes happens that a student will slip through the cracks of screening. This can be a very difficult situation for both student and instructor. I've had to identify these students with program directors and find out how they want me to proceed with them.
I find that sometimes these students are embarrassed by their lack of understanding and will not ask questions or participate in class. I set up one on one tutoring with these students so that I can help them grasp terms that they don't understand. This also creates a rapport with the student so that they feel I am approachable and can bring question to me. This is especially important during test taking. So often it is not they don't have the knowledge, but that they don't have the vocabulary to understand what is being asked.
One of the universities I teach for is Venezuelan based...that being said, English is the second language of a majority of my students. I find it very challenging to capture the attention of those that don't have a good grasp of the English language. I suggested that remedial English courses be integrated into each program. I am happy to report that the students are most appreciative and the faculty are finding it easier to communicate/deliver course materials to the students. After taking the ESOL course students are more engaged in class discussion and scores are higher on written assignments.
