Survey quantifies the extra time that researchers whose first language isn't English need to read, write and present data.
Researchers whose first language is not English can spend around twice as long reading an English-language scientific journal article as native speakers. For a PhD student working on their thesis, that can mean spending up to 19 additional working days per year just reading papers., might not be shocking, researchers say, but it’s important to measure the effects of language barriers on the careers of academics who are not fluent in English.
The team found that among scientists who had published only one paper in English, those from countries with generally low English proficiency spent a median of 29.8% more time writing it than did native speakers; those from countries with moderate English proficiency spent a median of 50.6% more time. Similarly, the researchers found that those from countries with generally low English proficiency spend a median of 90.8% more time reading scientific articles than do native speakers.
At conferences, even those who overcome the hurdle of presenting their work in English face difficulties. Germana Barata, a researcher who specializes in science communication at the State University of Campinas in Brazil, says that despite being fluent in English, she still feels uncomfortable at times. “We are given the same amount of time to present, but what we can say in 10 minutes is different from what a native speaker can say,” she points out.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Woman teaches English to migrants on a Chicago basketball courtSamantha Oulavong has visited the 1st District police station almost every day since May teaching basic English to the migrants and their children in the bleachers of a basketball court across from the South Loop station.
Read more »
Anna Cleveland and Jefferson Hack’s English Country Wedding Was a Fashion Family ReunionModel Anna Cleveland, daughter of pioneering Black supermodel Pat Cleveland, married the cofounder of Dazed in a romantic ceremony near Windsor—with a star-studded fashion world guestlist. See all the photos here:
Read more »
49ers ownership group officially agrees to buy English soccer club Leeds United from Andrea RadrizzaniThe San Francisco 49ers ownership group is now in full control of Leeds United.
Read more »
English learners can't be blocked from dual language programs, Arizona attorney general rulesSchools Chief Tom Horne cannot stop Arizona schools from offering dual language programs to English learners, Attorney General Kris Mayes said.
Read more »
400,000-year-old mammoth tusk found sticking out of the ground in English quarryKiley Price is a Live Science staff writer based in New York City. Her work has appeared in National Geographic, Slate, Mongabay and more. She holds a bachelor's degree from Wake Forest University, where she studied biology and journalism, and is pursuing a master's degree at New York University's Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program.
Read more »
The manifold costs of being a non-native English speaker in scienceThis study reveals that non-native English speakers, especially early in their careers, spend more effort than native English speakers in conducting scientific activities, from reading and writing papers and preparing presentations in English, to disseminating research in multiple languages.
Read more »