Introduction
This document contains practical suggestions for teaching strategies that will assist the University’s
international students. Some of the suggestions may seem self-evident as they represent widely
accepted principles of effective teaching in higher education. Nonetheless they are worth reiterating.
The University of Melbourne endeavours to create environments which foster academic excellence
and which encourage all students to engage with their learning communities
(http://www.unimelb.edu.au/diversity/downloads/inclusive%20practice.pdf). The University has a
culturally diverse student population, including students from Indigenous, international and recent
immigrant backgrounds. This document focuses on the language and cultural issues that may be
considered in teaching international students. While acknowledging that the term ‘international
students’ is complex to define, for the present purposes of this document international students will
be those who have had the majority of their previous study in countries where English is not the main
medium of instruction in education.
Globally, more people than ever before are choosing to undertake an international education. The
large-scale movement of students between education systems means that academics need to
consider the learning and teaching implications of the increased numbers of international students in
university classes. Notably, international students now form a large part of the diverse student
community that exists at the University of Melbourne. Many of these students are originally from
countries where English may be spoken as a second or third language, or where English is only
learnt as a foreign language in school. It is important to not make assumptions about these students’
learning strategies because of their cultural background. Much discussion of international students
has focused on stereotypes: a presumed reluctance to talk in class, a preference for rote learning
and an apparent lack of critical thinking skills. Implied within this stereotyping is an ‘us’ and ‘them’
approach to the students and a deficit view of this group of learners, as people who perhaps ‘lack’
the desirable qualities for succeeding in higher education as we understand it. However, this is
simply not true. International students are some of the highest achieving students at the University
IntroductionThis document contains practical suggestions for teaching strategies that will assist the University’sinternational students. Some of the suggestions may seem self-evident as they represent widelyaccepted principles of effective teaching in higher education. Nonetheless they are worth reiterating.The University of Melbourne endeavours to create environments which foster academic excellenceand which encourage all students to engage with their learning communities(http://www.unimelb.edu.au/diversity/downloads/inclusive%20practice.pdf). The University has aculturally diverse student population, including students from Indigenous, international and recentimmigrant backgrounds. This document focuses on the language and cultural issues that may beconsidered in teaching international students. While acknowledging that the term ‘internationalstudents’ is complex to define, for the present purposes of this document international students willbe those who have had the majority of their previous study in countries where English is not the mainmedium of instruction in education.Globally, more people than ever before are choosing to undertake an international education. Thelarge-scale movement of students between education systems means that academics need toconsider the learning and teaching implications of the increased numbers of international students inuniversity classes. Notably, international students now form a large part of the diverse studentcommunity that exists at the University of Melbourne. Many of these students are originally fromcountries where English may be spoken as a second or third language, or where English is onlylearnt as a foreign language in school. It is important to not make assumptions about these students’learning strategies because of their cultural background. Much discussion of international studentshas focused on stereotypes: a presumed reluctance to talk in class, a preference for rote learningand an apparent lack of critical thinking skills. Implied within this stereotyping is an ‘us’ and ‘them’approach to the students and a deficit view of this group of learners, as people who perhaps ‘lack’the desirable qualities for succeeding in higher education as we understand it. However, this issimply not true. International students are some of the highest achieving students at the University
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