Field Notes

This is a photo of an incense burner. It has many different shapes. When it is empty, people usually place it on top of a table, as those international students whom I visited did. However, they mainly use it when they have guests. They put some coals on top of it and some Oud (a small perfume material) and when they burn it, a smoke arises producing a beautiful scent. Guests use it one by one.

International Students’ Reading Habits

In my survey, I wrote seven questions germane to the reading habits of the international students during their attending Texas A&M-Commerce and while they were at their home schools. Eleven international students participated in filling out the surveys. Here are the answers preceded by the questions:

1-      Do you read in English or in your Native Language, or in both?

Most of the participants answered that they used to read in both languages when they were home, only four wrote they continue on both languages now at their current school—the rest uses English only.

2-      In order to look for any information that is related to your classes, do you read in English or in your native language? Or in both?

Two participants answered they read in their native languages plus English. The rest says they only read in English and mentioned in the interviews that that was because of the lack of the resources in their native languages. They wrote they used to look for outside resources in both languages when they were at their home institutions.

3-      Do you have a dictionary? If so, is it English- English or English- your native language?

Only three answered that they use English-English dictionary, the rest writes that they have English-Their native languages dictionary. Also, all of them agreed that they used both English-English and English-Native language dictionaries when they were home.

4-      Do you read books that are not required in the class? How often? In what language?

Six participants wrote that they read books that are not required in class once a week and they did the same when they were home. Two of them believed that they just started reading outside materials when they came to this current school.

5-      Do you feel comfortable reading out loud in class?

Five participants claimed that they feel comfortable reading out loud in class here at Texas A&M, they of course maintained that they were the same when they were home. Six of the participants wrote that they do not feel comfortable reading out loud in the class neither at their current school nor at their previous schools. Only one participant wrote she was comfortable reading out loud when she was at her home country, but not here.

6-      Can you easily read the professors’ notes on the board and on your papers?

All the participants maintained that they can easily read the professor’s notes on their papers. Only two wrote that they sometimes cannot because either they are unclear or do not make sense. One participant wrote that always depends on the penmanship.

7-      Do you prefer reading out of printed books or on the computer screen?

            Only four participants maintained that they do not mind either of which, the rest wrote that they prefer reading out of printed books only.