F O R :

O F F I C E O F U N D E R G R A D U A T E E D U C A T I O N F A C U L T Y P R O F E S S I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T

B Y :

K E L V I N K E O W N & A K A N E Y A M A G U C H I

M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

Supporting International Students

Our Agenda/ Guiding Questions

Introduction What does Int’l Student Population look like at UWT? What services do ISS and TLC offer for Int’l Students? What common challenges do Int’l Students bring to

classrooms? – we will offer some tips! What opportunities do Int’l Students bring to campus? What other resources are available for me? Q & A

Int’l Student Population @ UWT

Int’l Students = F-1 & J-1 visa holders Autumn 2014 #s 257 (95 of them were new students) 162 % increase from Autumn 2013 # (98).

Class Standings: First Years = 12 Sophomores = 28 Juniors = 104 Seniors = 45 Graduates = 68

Int’l Student Population @ UWT, cont.

Undergraduates Average GPA (continuing students): 2.96 Average Transfer GPA: 3.21 Top Transfer Schools: TCC Highline Pierce Green River Seattle Central

International Student Services (ISS)

F-1 & J-1 Student Advising Non-immigrant document issuance, status maintenance,

international travel & re-admission, off-campus work authorizations, obtaining SS# and WA IDs)

Programs: Quarterly New Student Orientation Weekly UWTea Time Workshops Int’l Education Week

Outreach & Advocacy: To students whose GPAs are suffering Weekly Email Newsletters to students Quarterly Email Newsletters to constituents. Facebook page Website: www.tacoma.uw.edu/iss

International Student Services (ISS), cont’d.

Office Location: MAT 203 International Student Advisors: Akane Yamaguchi, Assistant Director (IT & Nursing majors) Laura Belle Douglas, Int’l Student Advisors (IA&S and Pre-

majors) Jon Dietzen, Int’l Student Recruiter & Advisor (funded by

Milgard, Business majors) Vacant, Int’l Student Counselor (funded by Milgard, Business

majors)

Teaching and Learning Center (TLC)

Provide feedback on writing fulfilling assignment process organization clarity vocabulary and limited grammar

Writing centers are not editing services We take a long view, not a “perfect by due date” view.

Int’l Student Challenges

English Proficiency Lack of Socio Cultural context Needs to invest 3 times more on studies University Culture Learning the why, when, & how of citation and

reference don’t frame as theft or “integrity”

Tips for Teaching Int’l Students

English Proficiency: Visual Aid Recording Avoid timed writing Provide opportunities for revision Don’t require perfect grammar, don’t grade heavily on it. Encourage use of TLC

All entering Int’l Students have met the English proficiency

requirement, yet need…

Tips for Teaching Int’l Students, cont’d.

Sociocultural Context: Do not assume background knowledge Provide relevant materials for getting up to speed Looks for tasks in lectures, assignments and exams where

assumed background knowledge may disadvantage students.

http://www.examiner.com/article/expats-bridge-culture-gaps

Tips for Teaching Int’l Students, cont’d.

University Culture: Clearly articulate expectations

Academic Interpersonal Deadlines/ Timeliness Special policy on student work

Capitalize on teachable moments For all of the above

http://sd.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/i/keep-calm-and-read-the-syllabus-38.png

Tips for Teaching Int’l Students, cont’d.

Learning to Use Citation and References: Integrating sources effectively is more than the sum of citation

and quotation rules.

The cultural values that animate source attribution in the AADC are not universal nor obvious to novices – recitations of rules and admonishments of “integrity” are not enough.

Students need practice before punishment

Tips for Teaching Int’l Students, cont’d.

Needs to invest 3 times more on studies: Try to make a personal connection Encourage use of office hours

Encourage them to come in a small group or in a pair Encourage study group & partners

http://www.studymyway.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Student-overwhelmed.jpg

Opportunities of Int’l Students Presence

How have International Students influenced

classroom dynamics in your classes?

Online Resources

Integrating International Students (from Inside Higher Ed )

Chinese Students in the Classroom ( from Inside Higher Ed)

Teaching International Students: Pedagogical Issues and Strategies (U. of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching)

Tips on Teaching ESL Students (The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center)

Further Readings

Adjusting to University Evans, M. & Morrison, B. (2011). First term at university: Implications for EAP. ELT Journal,

65(4), 387-397. doi: 10.1093/elt/ccq072 Using sources in writing Keck, C. (2014). Copying, paraphrasing, and academic writing development: A re-examination of

L1 and L2 summarization practices. Journal of Second Language Writing, 25, 4-22. doi: 10.1016/j.jslw.2014.05.005

Li, Y. & Casanave, C. P. (2012). Two first year students’ strategies for writing from sources:

Patchwriting or Plagiarism? Journal of Second Language Writing, 21(2), 165-180. doi: 10.1016/j.jslw.2012.03.002

Shi, L. (2012). Rewriting and paraphrasing source texts in second language writing. Journal of

Second Language Writing, 21(2), 134-148. doi: 10.1016/j.jslw.2012.03.003

Reading McNeil, L. (2010). Investigating the contributions of background knowledge and reading

comprehension strategies to L2 reading comprehension: An exploratory study. Reading and Writing, 24(8), 883-902. doi: 10.1007/s11145-010-9230-6

Thank You!

Kelvin Keown, English Language Consultant, The

Teaching and learning center (TLC) kelvin3@uw.edu

Akane Yamaguchi, Assist. Dir., International Student

Services (ISS) ayamagu@uw.edu