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How to make yourself understood by internationalstudents: The role of metaphor in academic tutorialsAuthors: Jeannette Littlemore, Fiona MacArthur, Alan Cienki and JosephHollowayIn recent years there has been a significant increase in the number of internationalstudents studying at British universities. This contributes to making universitiesmore universal centres of debate, enquiry and learning, enriching the cultureof our universities through numerous multicultural encounters. However, it isnot always a straightforward matter to take full advantage of the opportunitiesoffered by the presence of international students in our classes. We may not forinstance be sufficiently aware of the extent to which the linguistic and culturalbackgrounds of international students differ from ours. An area where linguisticand cultural differences are particularly obvious is in the use of metaphor, asthe understanding of metaphor often involves a sophisticated understanding ofbackground assumptions and conventions that vary significantly across culturesand disciplines.In this paper we study oral interactions between lecturers and internationalstudents studying at a British university and a Spanish University. We explore howmetaphor and gesture are used in the different exchanges, discussing the extentto which and the ways in which the different interlocutors appropriate each other’suse of metaphor and gesture, and the ways in which the interlocutors use gestureto help them structure and communicate their own ideas.We identify a range of metaphors being used successfully and less successfully.We show that the use of metaphor has a great deal to offer in terms of its abilityto develop shared understanding of difficult concepts, but that it can presentproblems leading at times to misunderstandings and a tendency in students tostray from the topic. In order to avoid the pitfalls of metaphor use, we make anumber of recommendations for making the most of the potential that metaphorhas to offer in academic tutorials.Computers and learner autonomy: trends and issuesAuthor: Huw JarvisThis paper reports on a study into the practices and perceptions of Thai andEmerati university students in their use of computer-based materials (CbMs)beyond the classroom, including in Self Access Centres (SACs). Questionnaires andsemi-structured interviews in focus groups and one-to-one were utilised to gatherinformation. The data suggests that students made regular and extensive use ofa wide range of materials in both their native language and the English language.Students recognised the importance of accessing and transmitting informationin the English language. They appeared to make considerable use of CbMs forexposure to and the unconscious acquisition of the English language, particularlybeyond a SAC. Where conscious learning of English was reported the role of SACsappears to be highly significant. The paper concludes by proposing that we needOverview | 11