Dr. Teresa Clark and Dr. Randal Wilson Creating a Culture of Respect: Teaching and Advising International Students Dr. Teresa Clark and Dr. Randal Wilson

Learning Objectives Session attendees will: Be introduced to examples of cultural differences they may experience when teaching and advising international students; Learn best practices in addressing these cultural differences; and Share what strategies have worked best for them when teaching and advising international students.

Background of Presenters Assistant Professors in the Doctor of Education in P-20 and Community Leadership Teach and advise international graduate students in ADM and HDL courses: In-person and online China, Egypt, India, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea

Gender Differences Experience Female Students Male Students Face and head coverings Husband as spokesperson Hooding by female faculty Respect for the position Not accustomed to female leaders Not used to female classmates Hierarchy within social structure Respect for the position

Literature Insights Transculturation: Adjusting to a new culture without completely abandoning home culture (Bucher, 2010) Gender egalitarianism low in Middle East: Biological sex determines roles (Northouse, 2013) Space (Tubbs, 2013) Eye contact (African, Asian, Latin American) (Bucher, 2010)

Gender Issues Strategies Female Students Male Students Let them set the tone of the meeting Avoid physical contact Avoid eye contact Provide female advisors when possible Establish yourself as the professor—positional authority Avoid physical contact

Your Best Practices

Oral Communication Experiences Pace and repetition Our accents can be hard to understand, too Slang, jargon, regional sayings Metaphor

Literature Insights Linguicism (Bucher, 2010) Intercultural communication (Bucher, 2010) Be mindful of gestures (Bucher, 2010) Chit-chat (Middle Eastern) (Bucher, 2010) Metaphor (Littlemore et al., 2011)

Oral Communication Strategies Teaching and Advising Student Presentations Speak slowly and clearly Avoid colloquial phrases and sayings Do not assume understanding English as second language Topic selection Allow time for mental translation

Your Best Practices

Written Communication Experiences Lost in translation Copying and plagiarism

Literature Insights Collectivism: Devotion to family and institution, working together (Northouse, 2013) Symbols (Bucher, 2010) Grade content in addition to conventions (Hesse, 2014) Read for length, despite errors (Hesse, 2014) Be fair, not annoyed (Hesse, 2014)

Writing Strategies Teaching and Advising Student Papers Write out comments Verbally explain feedback Avoid comparing international papers to American ones English as second language Differing views of plagiarism Writing Center

Your Best Practices

Benefits of Teaching and Advising International Students Bucher, 2010… Increasing diversity consciousness Avoiding cultural encapsulation Socialization with other cultures Breaking down stereotypes

References Bucher, R.D. (2015). Diversity consciousness: Opening our minds to peoples, cultures and organizations, 4th ed. Prentice Hall. Hesse, D. (2014). Working with international student writers. University of Denver. http://www.du.edu Littlemore, J & Trautman, C & Koester, A & Barnden, J. (2011). Difficulties in metaphor comprehension faced by international students whose first language is not English. Applied Linguistics, 35 (1). Northouse, P. (2013). Leadership theory and practice, 6th ed. Sage. Tubbs, S. (2012). A systems approach to small group interaction, 11th ed. McGraw-Hill.

Questions and Networking Dr. Teresa Clark tclark24@murraystate.edu Dr. Randal Wilson rwilson6@murraystate.edu