The Advantages of Video Conferencing for International Students
The internet has made the lives of everyone on the planet so much easier. With the click of a button one can buy any product they desire and have it delivered to their home address just as quickly. Not only this, but staying in touch has never been easier to do. With the introduction of chat websites that include a microphone and webcam enabling function, meeting new people has never been easier. Not only this, but businesses and classrooms have incorporated the use of video conferencing by LifeSize to keep in touch with clients/students who are out of the country. I have highlighted the main advantages of video conferencing for international students and hope you find these useful and interesting.
Interaction
Have you ever typed to someone on the internet or on a mobile phone? Sending a message with only characters on a computer screen is much more difficult than it is to do face to face. It is far more time-consuming to type out a wall of text concerning the information you are trying to send than it is to just tell the person the same details. And if you are a native English speaker who only knows one language typing to someone who is from a non-English speaking country who is learning English, a lot can be lost in translation.
Sometimes native English speakers can get so used to using slang and figurative speech that it doesn’t come across in text to someone who is unfamiliar with those same mannerisms. Video conferencing removes this language barrier, allowing sentences to be exchanged without the otherwise unavoidable mincing of words. This is why video conferencing would help to assist in preventing misunderstandings which is why it would also be an effective tool to use when participating in student to student housing. For example, if you are a German student offering your room as you will be studying temporarily in the UK, then you may want to speak to the person you are sub-letting your room to. This is especially the case whereby you leave your furniture and other belongings at home. Video conferencing would help getting to know each other in a more personal manner, as opposed to simply writing each other e-mails or chatting with each other.
Learning a new language
I believe this is an advantage of video conferencing that is much overlooked. There is something about learning a language that is made much easier by actually hearing the language. This would explain why someone spending a year in France will pick up the language much faster than someone who spends that same amount of time in the classroom learning it. This is because learning the language is easier when it is relevant. Talking to native speakers of English would make learning the language a little easier to learn. This is because languages are much easier to learn when they are being used in context and with the quirks that only an accent can provide. Video conferencing allows this pronunciation to shine through in a way missed if the message is merely typed out.
Considering student to student housing is a great service mostly offered to international students, international students can already start learning the language when meeting the person who is sub-letting their room to you, in a video call.
Uncategorized | Erasmate Team | 
May 15, 2012 2:10 pm | 
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