Libraries & Teaching at IUB

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Teaching International Students

These ideas are from Maureen Bradley, an international student adviser, for giving instruction sessions to classes of non-native English speakers:

-Take the amount of material you have to present and cut it by 1/2

-Speak slower and remember that the students have to not just hear you, but be able to hear and translate in their head at the same time.

-Understand they must be pretty smart to have made it this far --sometimes we forget this.

-International students who have made it to the U.S. generally have a great appreciation for libraries and learning in-general. So while it may seem like 'just an instruction session' to an American, the International students will generally be more interested in your material. It may not seem like it from their response (or lack of it), but rest assured, they don't just 'go to college, they are here to succeed, and see the library as a key factor.

-Remember that the majority of people are not auditory learners, but visual or kinesthetic learners. Try to focus on the visual aspect. They will remember what they see, even if your words are not sinking in to everyone. Think for a moment how you would give a presentation to a deaf person, and you will see the library very differently.

-Don't worry about lack of feedback. Many of these students are from cultures where feedback is considered a lack of respect.

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