1. Experiences of Teaching a Culturally Diverse and Internationalised Student Body
Dr Patrick Corr – Centre Director

2. 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

3. INTO’s UK University Partners since 2006
INTO University Partnerships
Sunday, April 09, 2017
INTO’s UK University Partners since 2006
Partnerships with universities in the UK, USA and China 3

4. 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

5. Overview of courses Academic Courses: by pathway
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)

6. Imagine you are an international student ….
The student’s Journey
Imagine you are an international student ….

7. It can be a difficult journey…
UKBA
Culture Shock
Different education system
Home sickness
Everything is different .. weather, accents, social norms, etc, etc

8. Into the brave new world
Making the big leap
Into the brave new world 8

9. Spot the individual Some common overgeneralisations:
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

10. Motivations and Expectations

11. Student motivations and expectations are all different

12. 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

13. 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

14. Cultural differences May include:- being too teacher-dependent
being uncritical of materials
understanding what independent learning means in HEI
‘accidental’ plagiarism

15. 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.

16. 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

17. 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)