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Professor Wolfgang Nehring teaches German literature, culture and history and has been teaching a

During lectures, he speaks very slowly and often stops to ask students if they understand what he says. He also pays careful attention to how well he enunciates each syllable.

English was not German Professor Wolfgang Nehring’s first language, and he understands that many students may have a difficult time understanding him.

Many students say they have had a difficult time understanding some of their professors because of language barriers and thick accents.

And as finals week approaches, students are especially aware of these language barriers and hope to overcome them to grasp the information their professors present so they can do well on their exams.

“My professor can speak English, but he has a difficult time expressing himself. For my final, I am confused about what to do because the professor talks about different requirements than what the TA has discussed with us in class. Many other students have this same problem,” said Sarah Hersey, a first-year art student.

Nehring believes that if he speaks slowly and loudly and enunciates his words, students will understand his lecture better.

“I speak slowly on purpose and also try to repeat myself. I make it a point so that students feel comfortable asking questions in class if they don’t understand what I said during the lecture,” Nehring said.

Some professors believe that the most important aspect of overcoming a language barrier is understanding that they have an accent and that students may not understand them.

“Being aware of one’s accent is very important. It makes me try to express my ideas much more clearly, and students definitely notice this attempt,” said Design | Media Arts Professor Erkki Huhtamo.

Both students and professors believe that the language barrier can be overcome through extra meetings and conversations with each other.

“I encourage e-mail exchange and conversation, but I don’t think this is the solution. Students and professors need to meet face-to-face and exchange ideas verbally,” Huhtamo said.

Natasha Pushkarna, a first-year microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics student, agreed that the face-to-face approach often worked.

“One of my professors made it known that he was available to students after class. He would always stay so students could ask him questions,” Pushkarna said.

Pushkarna deals with the communication barrier with one of her professors by attending office hours as well as asking questions through e-mail.

When hiring new professors, many department heads consider good communication skills as a necessity for the position.

In many departments, candidates applying for open professor positions are required to come and present a paper or topic to an audience of students and faculty.

The audience is encouraged to submit evaluations of the candidates to the selection committee within the department.

“We want our professors to be scholars as well as good and caring teachers. If someone is incapable of communicating, we definitely won’t be keen on selecting them as a professor,” said history department Chairman Teofilo Ruiz.

Some professors who did not speak English as their first language and are new to Los Angeles say they experience similar communication barriers that their students do.

“I come from a country that is very homogeneous, and there are very few ethnicities. Coming to L.A. has been a very large challenge for me, and when I first got here I had a hard time understanding students,” Huhtamo said.

“Talking with students from every different background has been an incredible enrichment for me – it has forced me to speak and break my old ways of thinking,” he added.

To further deal with communication barriers, some students often rely on the help of their teaching assistants for specific questions.

“I knew that if I wanted to get a very straightforward answer, I should go to the TA instead of the professor,” Hersey said.

Despite the communication barriers sometimes associated with his accent, both Huhtamo and Nehring say they embrace their styles of speech as part of their identities.

Huhtamo said he wouldn’t abandon his accent even if it were possible. He believes that it is part of his personality and helps define who he is.

“I am very aware that we Scandinavians have an accent and that we can’t get rid of it. I wouldn’t want to get rid of mine because it makes me especially aware of this issue – it helps me to make an extra effort in explaining myself, and in some ways, this is an advantage in teaching,” Huhtamo said.

Nehring agreed that his accent helps him be a better professor.

“I feel more comfortable teaching in German, but when I teach in English, I tend to use more notes and stay on topic more. I have to plan out the lecture in detail when I teach in English, whereas in German, I know I will get sidetracked,” he said

Nehring believes his German accent is a bonus for students, jokingly saying, “I tell myself this is an introduction to German for students. They experience total immersion with my accent.”