Effect of native language on learning to program

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorHenney, Andre
dc.contributor.authorRussell, Seán
dc.contributor.authorAlaofi, Suad
dc.date.accessioned2026-01-20T09:25:43Z
dc.date.available2026-01-20T09:25:43Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.description.abstractThe 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.
dc.identifier.citationRussell, 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).
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1145/3736251.3749524
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10566/21760
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherAssociation for Computing Machinery, Inc
dc.subjectCS1/CS2
dc.subjectIntroductory Programming
dc.subjectNative Language
dc.subjectNon-native English Speakers
dc.subjectComputer Education
dc.titleEffect of native language on learning to program
dc.typeArticle

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
henney_effect_of native_language_on_learning_2025.pdf
Size:
854.17 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download

Collections

Research Articles (Computer Science)