Communicating with International Students Tom Marks

Introduction What is CELCIS? International students: Communication strategies Two tactics Two points about culture

What is CELCIS? Part of the Haenicke Institute for Global Education (HIGE) International Admissions Immigration Study Abroad CELCIS (Center for English Language & Culture for International Students)

CELCIS Intensive English Program (IEP) Established in 1975 CEA Accreditation (3rd time, through 2025) UCIEP, AAIEP memberships Most faculty have Master’s degrees in Teaching English as a Second Language

CELCIS – Academic Preparation 4 hrs/day, 5 days/week, 20 hrs/week 14-week semesters (Fall, Spring, Summer) Speaking/Listening, Grammar, Reading/Writing Academic skills Note-taking, Presentations Outlining, Essay writing Research/Library skills Summaries, Research papers

From CELCIS to WMU Completion of CELCIS Advanced level with grade of “C” or higher in all Advanced classes satisfies language requirement! TOEFL/IELTS test score NOT required Good for all UG programs & most Grad programs

Bridge classes For students with “Restricted Admission” - 61 iBT, 6.0 IELTS test scores OR - CELCIS Advanced-level graduates CELCIS Faculty design/teach classes A-S 3600 (R/W) – 5 credits OR A-S 3610 (S/L) – 5 credits Learn university-level study strategies & skills - how to understand syllabi - how to begin assignments

Graduate students & CELCIS Students who complete CELCIS program = ready for undergraduate study CELCIS Students need extra instruction on grad-level skills (research, discussion) - CELCIS Adv level (special section for grad Ss) - BUS 6050 – requirement at HCOB

Questions? (so far)

International Students at WMU 1850 total at WMU, from 100 countries 150 at CELCIS (Fall 2016) 52 Saudis (35%) 38 Japanese (25%) 24 Chinese (16%) 22 Indonesians (15%) 90% of CELCIS graduates enter WMU

International Student Goals Pursue degrees Make friends Share culture Learn about U.S. Feeling welcome  leads to motivation & success Part of WMU’s Global Engagement pillar  internationalizing WMU campus

Communication Strategies (1) Ask for name (repeat it & write it down) (If unclear, ask students to write it down) Remember – social norms differ Students may avoid making eye contact or shaking hands when introduced

Communication Strategies (2) Interview students What class is this for? What is the assignment? What are you looking for? Be patient – let students finish their thoughts without interruption (It may take them longer to build sentences)

Communication Strategies (3) Simplify speech (avoid slang, jargon, idioms) Speak slowly If at first you don’t succeed, explain in a different way Repeat often (repetition is key)

Communication Strategies (4) Divide content into “manageable chunks” or steps Support verbal information with written info, pictures, diagrams, flowcharts, gestures Use direct/specific feedback, link to words on page Check understanding  ask students to repeat to ensure they understand

Communication – Key Phrases Can you repeat that please? Can you spell that please? Can you speak more slowly? What does X mean?

Two Tactics

Writing – What’s difficult for international students? Understanding assignments, choosing topics Choosing key terms for searches Finding articles appropriate for their level Developing topics & organizing papers Using sources – paraphrasing, citing Grammar & Spelling Meeting deadlines

What can you do?

Tactics – Model & Observe (1) Instructional modeling – show links to: Online tutorials, web pages Purdue OWL libguides.wmich.edu/celcis model papers formatting examples, handouts others?

Tactics – Model & Observe (2) Instructional modeling – demonstrate process If I were doing this, I would choose: this topic because… these search terms because… this article because…

Tactics – Model & Observe (3) Provide practice opportunities “Now you try it” Have students repeat instructions back to you Have students practice in front of you Provide gentle (but specific) feedback Students learn by doing, by developing habits

Tactics – Model & Observe (4) Make sure students leave with a plan: Outline (students create) List of steps to follow (students create) Red pen - always in student’s hand Whenever possible: Let them explain Let them create/do Let them self-correct

Two points about Culture

Culture - Plagiarism Define terms: plagiarism, paraphrase, cite Explain U.S. expectations, risks, & penalties Explain citation styles with examples Model how to write a paraphrased sentence Give students links to online resources

Culture – Deflection strategy Taboo topics, complaints, etc. “I’m not comfortable talking about this” “Let’s focus on the assignment” Other ideas? Problems?

Q&A Questions?

Resources CELCIS Tutor List WMU Library/CELCIS (libguides.wmich.edu/celcis) University of Dayton website (https://www.udayton.edu/ltc/development/ta gs/index.php)

Contact Information CELCIS Office (269-387-4800) celcis-info@wmich.edu www.wmich.edu/celcis Thomas Marks, CELCIS Director (269-387-4804) thomas.marks@wmich.edu

Resources – Books for Students They Say, I Say – Graff & Birkenstein Style – Williams The Craft of Argument – Williams & Colomb The Craft of Research – Booth, Williams & Colomb The Article Book - Cole