AppendixA ITheProcessofAcademicWriting 279
CommunicationProblems
Onekindofcultureshockfacedbyinternationalstudentsin United
Statesis difficultycommunicatingwithAmericans.W yfirstarriveinthe
UnitedStates,theysoonrealizethattheirverbalskill 0 • f all,they
lackvocabulary,andtheyhavepoorpronunciation,s eopledonot
understandthem.Forexample,a fewdaysago,I.askeda A Icanstudent
howtogettothelibrary,butbecauseI.havetroublepronouncingr'sand/'s,the
studentdidnotunderstandme.I finallyhadtowriteitona pi aper.
Internationalstudentsalsospeaktoosoftlybecauset re difficult
forforeignpeopletounderstandAmericans,too.Ameri sein mplete
sentences,suchas"Later"tomean"I'llseeyoulater," ing?"tomean
"Areyoucoming?"Also,Americanstalktoofast,soit i possibleto
understandthem.Inaddition,Americansusea lotofsl iomswhose
meaningsnonnativespeakersdonotknow.Forexample,t erday
someonesaidtome,"Thatdrivesmeupthewall,"andI c notimaginewhat
hemeant.I hada pictureinmymindofhimdrivinghiscarupa wall.It didnot
makesense. to.'.me.Inshort,. communication-., - is probably:.- ..-.:-._.::.-:the-.:first- -.-.::problem..~._-;_:.-.- -_that.
internationalstudentsfaceintheUnitedStates.Aftera while,however,their
earsgetusedtotheAmericanwayofspeaking,andtheirownverbalabilities
improve.,MODELFinalCopy