experiences of teaching a culturally diverse and internationalised student body dr patrick corr –...
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Experiences of Teaching a Culturally Diverse and Internationalised Student Body
Dr Patrick Corr – Centre Director
A little context – What is INTO Queen’s?
INTO is a global private sector organisation that partners with leading universities to transform their international performance, invest in their student experience and prepare students for success in higher education worldwide.
Partnerships with universities in the UK, USA and China
The INTO Queen’s Centre
INTO Queen’s is a joint venture partnership, between INTO and Queen’s;
• Established in August 2009 – based in Lennoxvale
• Range of English language and Pathway programmes
• Rapid growth – currently almost 200 Queen’s students
• We are the journey – a Queen’s degree is the destination
Overview of courses
English Language Courses Academic Courses: by pathway
English for University Study:Undergraduate and Postgraduate
Pre-sessional English
In-sessional English Study Abroad with English
Summer School English packages:This is a tailored English course including a social programme, available upon request
International Foundation:• Engineering and Science• Business, Humanities & Social
Sciences
International Diploma:• Engineering• Management and Finance
Graduate Diploma:• Finance• Management • Computing (NEW Sept 2012)
It can be a difficult journey…
UKBACulture Shock
Home sickness
Everything is different .. weather,
accents, social norms, etc, etc
Different education
system
Spot the individual
They rote learn and lack critical thinking skills
They are passive, won’t talk in class
Progressive Western teaching methods don’t work with Asian students
They only focus on assessment
They don’t understand what plagiarism means
They won’t mix
Some common overgeneralisations:
International students: issues
Language difficulties
Cultural differences – independent learning
Educational expectations - plagiarism
Why don't they speak slowly? Our teachers normally dictate the notes.
Roles of university teachers- more or less supportive or involved?
Differing learning styles and experiences – education systems differ
Ability and opportunities to integrate
Language Difficulties
Three main problems have been identified from a number of independent surveys:
Listening and speaking in seminars:• expectations – what is a seminar?
• speed of input – other students
• shyness
• inability to formulate a response (fast enough)
• knowing the ‘best way’ to say something
Academic writing:• Expectation of role of tutors/lecturers
• Type of assignments/skills required
• Conventions of written work
• Range/type of resources used
• Form and culture of assessment
• Linguistic competence- limited vocabulary/grammatical range
• Plagiarism- often easy to identify in international students
Listening and note-taking:• Understanding a new accent, a variety of
accents• Understanding fast talkers• New vocabulary
• Listening, looking and writing at the same time• Getting used to a different system
Cultural differences
May include:-– being too teacher-dependent– being uncritical of materials– understanding what independent
learning means in HEI– ‘accidental’ plagiarism
In class
• All new students need to adjust to their new educational setting - school to university, country to city.
• Those from an international background will generally have significantly more adjustment to make – culture, climate ,language…
• International students do have a range of different needs.
• To accommodate them we need to change (or have already changed) how we teach and what we teach and probably, how we think about teaching …. to accommodate cultural and linguistic diversity.
Some practical considerations
• Find time to learn a little about the cultural backgrounds of your students & about the different kinds of experiences and expectations they may have
• Be conscious of your own delivery - speed, language
• Use visual support, handouts, QOL
• Mix nationalities in group work - shared input into final product
• Discuss and decode academic language. How is ‘evaluate’ different from ‘justify’
• Draw upon and use students’ ‘cultural capital’ they have lots to contribute - interesting for local students
• Keep on and on about acknowledging and referencing
Actively Manage Diversity
• Be aware of and accept academic cultural difference.
experiencing differences as a natural and enriching issue instead of a problem is another significant condition for intercultural learning’ (Jokikokko, 2009).
• Be prepared to support students through the transition period & help them develop the necessary skills to be successful
• Use teaching methods that encourage participation and collaboration
• Anticipate and manage predictable problems (expectations, integration,group work, plagiarism, etc)