Quick Tips for Supporting International Students

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Quick Tips for Supporting International Students

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Students from some cultures can be much less direct about academic concerns than others. Understand if you need to be more inquisitive or can wait for the student to raise issues.

Vary your conversation style based on the student’s culture

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Connect with international students through your shared experiences. For example, share how challenging it was for you to study abroad in Spanish, which isn’t your first language.

¿Lo entiendes?

Show that you can relate

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International students can be self-conscious about poor English skills and won’t always admit it when they don’t understand something. Draw them out and ask them questions about what they took away from the interaction.

Test for comprehension

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With international students, advising, mentoring, or tutoring interactions may need to be more prescriptive than normal, as these students often have different cultural expectations around the academic environment and require additional guidance.

Send clear messages about what success looks like

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Knowledge

Universities and international students often have different expectations for each other based on what each was told by a 3rd-party recruiter. This is particularly common around English proficiency requirements for Chinese students. Use the enrollment process to clarify these expectations.

Confirm expectations set by 3rd-party agents during the enrollment process

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Try to learn more about each student’s previous academic background. Some may have a much firmer grasp of Western education and may feel offended by unnecessary advice about getting to class on time and attending lectures.

Listen for individual differences in understanding and acculturation

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For example, the term “counselor” may resonate differently with some students than the term “advisor”. Adjusting or explaining your terminology can help students better understand the roles of those supporting them.

Be aware of the different connotations certain words have in different cultures

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For instance, you may have students from Muslim countries who have never experienced Ramadan in an environment where the majority of those around them are not fasting. Assess how this may be affecting their study habits or their mood.

Look for opportunities to express cultural awareness

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Knowledge

Referrals from international students can carry added weight. For instance, the Saudi government updates a list of recommended institutions for Saudi Arabia Culture Mission (SACM) scholarship study based on alumni experiences. Also family and friends’ opinions heavily drive where many international students decide to study.

Understand the power of “Word of Mouth” marketing

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Many universities have successfully implemented programs to improve international student success. Determine if some of the following concepts could benefit your international students. •  Restructure ESL programs so students can

improve their English while still making academic progress in their chosen area of study.

•  Provide proactive health and housing support to incoming international students.

•  Create host family and mentoring partnerships to help international students adjust to the culture.

Learn from others

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Increase enrollment, retention and graduation by 15%. •  1:1 coaching for prospective and enrolled students •  Actionable insights on student perceptions and needs •  Systems to ensure measurement and accountability

InsideTrack works with you to implement a system for continuous improvement

InsideTrack is the only college dropout prevention initiative to meet WWC evidence standards

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