Teaching International Students: Practical Adaptations and Ideas

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Teaching International Students Practical
Adaptations and Ideas

• Lesley Gourlay, Centre for Business Languages

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Abstract

• This workshop will focus on sharing practical
  ideas for adapting our teaching to take account
  of international students in our classes.
  Emphasising sharing of best practice, it will
  focus on lecture delivery, task design for
  groupwork, techniques to maximise participation
  and ideas to encourage integration between home
  and international students. It will have a strong
  emphasis on discussion of realistic strategies
  towards teaching, and adaptations which can be
  made to our existing approaches and materials.

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Discussion experiences issues

• Lectures / tutorials / support?
• Your experiences
• Any issues or challenges?
• Any adaptations or new strategies used?

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Discussion scenarios

• Look at the scenarios described on the handout.
  They are all taken from real accounts from Napier
  students or staff. How would you handle this in
  your teaching context? What adaptations would you
  make?

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Ideas Lecture Delivery

• By using language with care you can embrace
  your varied audience rather than unthinkingly
  alienate parts of it
• (1993 Open University Guide to Language Image)

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Ideas Lecture Delivery

• Clarify culture-specific background knowledge
• Use international examples if possible
• Outline structure of lecture in advance
• Maximise signposting language
• Maximise visual / textual support
• Use recapping techniques throughout
• Define jargon or unknown words
• Concept check terms, acronyms etc

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Ideas Lecture Delivery

• Do not talk while writing / moving around
• Use pauses to help with note-taking
• Allow side talk if non-disruptive
• Vary pace and activity to aid concentration
• Use pair work to check comprehension
• Elicit / recap main points at the end
• Give readings in advance to maximise prep.
• Encourage use of EFL support materials

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Ideas Groupwork

• Make rationale of groupwork explicit
• Do not assume familiarity with format
• Explain procedures in advance to reduce anxiety
• Distribute readings in advance if possible
• Use get-to-know-you activities / name tags
• Openly discuss potential issues / ask for
  flexibility
• Give all students an achievable role

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Ideas Groupwork

• Structure tasks into do-able stages
• Maximise sense of success
• Allow different types of participation
• Give all students achievable roles / tasks
• Give adequate time to formulate response / report
• Allow some side talk if non-disruptive
• Cultivate respectful and encouraging atmosphere

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Ideas Participation Integration

• State advantages of international groupings
• Formalise international study groups
• Set up supportive buddying relationships
• Emphasise commonality not difference
• Discourage nesting in classes
• Use warm-up activities frequently
• Set an example by challenging racist remarks
• Negotiate groundrules for discussion

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Discussion Conclusions

• 3 points to take away and use?

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Further Reading

• Ballard, B. Clanchy, J. 1997. Teaching
  International Students. IDP Education Australia,
  Deakin ACT.
• McNamara, D. Harris, R. 1997. Overseas
  Students in UK Higher Education. London
  Routledge.
• Richardson, J. 1994. Cultural specificity of
  approaches to studying in higher education a
  literature survey. Higher Education 27/4417-32
• Ryan, J. 2000. A Guide to Teaching International
  Students. Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning
  Development.