Effect of native language on learning to program
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Date
2025
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Association for Computing Machinery, Inc
Abstract
The dominance of the English language in computer science across programming languages, documentation, instruction, and scientific publication is well recognized. This situation contrasts with the actual distribution of spoken languages in the world, where only approximately 5% of the population of the world are native English speakers and a further 15% are non-native English speakers (NNES). For NNES students learning programming or computing in universities, the dominance of the English language can present a challenge. This challenge can manifest in multiple forms such as keywords, technical documentation, tutorials, or even descriptive terminology that may only exist in English. This situation impacts international students in English-speaking countries, those studying in regions where English is the medium of instruction, and it also affects students in non-English-speaking countries who do not study in English. In all of these cases, students may have to deal with computer terminologies or other documentation that have no direct translations in their language. This working group aims to systematically investigate the extent that the English language presents a barrier to non-native English speakers in computing education, specifically in introductory programming courses delivered entirely in English to populations of non-native English speakers. This multi-prong effort is based on the existing literature, instructor observations, student experiences, and popular introductory programming textbooks. The diverse nationalities and localities of the working group members prime our work for varied perspectives on the topic.
Description
Keywords
CS1/CS2, Introductory Programming, Native Language, Non-native English Speakers, Computer Education
Citation
Russell, S., Lovellette, E., Bouvier, D.J., Alaofi, S., Alshaigy, B., Glebova, O., Henney, A., Kurkovsky, S., McNeill, F., Reckinger, S. and Silveyra, J., 2025, October. Effect of Native Language on Learning to Program. In Proceedings of the ACM Global on Computing Education Conference 2025 Vol 2 (pp. 362-364).