“Helping International Students Thrive…” Challenges All the usual adjustments, plus… Unfamiliar cultural values Visa status, immigration, SSNs, driver’s licenses, taxes English proficiency/comfort level Unfamiliar educational system/philosophy (speaking in class, sharing opinions) Differences regarding Academic Integrity (plagiarism, collaboration) Unfamiliar healthcare system Distance from friends and family Homesickness Support Network of faculty advisors, resources, etc. International student office, support centers Orientation days Workshops throughout the semester, topical retreats Courses like “Intro to College” Assignments that help students reflect on cultural differences Peer counseling, pairing with mentors Globalization of campus Creating a climate of engagement
International Student Population, Freshmen degree-seeking students, exchange students Grew up speaking English, studied English as a foreign language in high school, studied in United World College, completed college-level coursework with native, English-speaking professors From Jordan, Kazakhstan, India, Palestine, Uganda, Germany, Vietnam, China, South Korea, Norway, Burundi, Russia, Serbia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Italy, Egypt, Thailand, etc.
Where is this individual in the process? …the process of… …learning to write in an academic context in the U.S. …understanding the expectations of his/her professors …learning to communicate effectively in English …understanding how writing centers and speaking centers work, etc. “Talk Before Text” (ESL Writers, Ch. 7, p. 81) “Choose your battles”
Writing 107, Objectives Help incoming international students understand the conventions U.S. academic culture and discourse with emphasis on liberal arts education Provide opportunities to learn about and practice reading, writing, listening and speaking in that context Help students develop confidence in college-level writing (constructing arguments, locating and documenting sources, etc.) by offering writing strategies and by using a systematic process that includes ample feedback Impress upon students the importance of academic integrity and responsible use of information, and help students have a full understanding of what that means at St. Olaf
Writing 107, Objectives Help incoming international students understand the conventions U.S. academic culture and discourse with emphasis on liberal arts education Provide opportunities to learn about and practice reading, writing, listening and speaking in that context Help students develop confidence in college-level writing (constructing arguments, locating and documenting sources, etc.) by offering writing strategies and by using a systematic process that includes ample feedback Impress upon students the importance of academic integrity and responsible use of information, and help students have a full understanding of what that means at St. Olaf
Writing 107, Objectives Help incoming international students understand the conventions U.S. academic culture and discourse with emphasis on liberal arts education Provide opportunities to learn about and practice reading, writing, listening and speaking in that context Help students develop confidence in college-level writing (constructing arguments, locating and documenting sources, etc.) by offering writing strategies and by using a systematic process that includes ample feedback Impress upon students the importance of academic integrity and responsible use of information, and help students have a full understanding of what that means at St. Olaf
Writing 107, Objectives Help incoming international students understand the conventions U.S. academic culture and discourse with emphasis on liberal arts education Provide opportunities to learn about and practice reading, writing, listening and speaking in that context Help students develop confidence in college-level writing (constructing arguments, locating and documenting sources, etc.) by offering writing strategies and by using a systematic process that includes ample feedback Impress upon students the importance of academic integrity and responsible use of information, and help students have a full understanding of what that means at St. Olaf
Writing 107, Objectives Help incoming international students understand the conventions U.S. academic culture and discourse with emphasis on liberal arts education The roles a tutor plays -ally -coach -commentator -collaborator -writing “expert” -learner -counselor
Writing 107, Objectives Help incoming international students understand the conventions U.S. academic culture and discourse with emphasis on liberal arts education The roles a tutor plays -ally-role model -coach-peer -commentator-confidant -collaborator-intermediary -writing “expert”-coach for college life -learner -counselor
The Assignments Compare/Contrast Essay Write an essay in which you compare two of the narratives from The Kindness of Strangers. Begin by outlining your chosen narratives. Then write an analytic essay in which you compare the texts in terms of how they relate to the title and/or the preface of the book. Your essay should include a thesis based on your comparative analysis.
The Assignments Textual Analysis Write an essay in which you analyze a section/chapter/theme from our class text, Overbooked. Your essay should include a thesis that makes a claim about the class text. For example, you could address a bias in the text; you could make a claim about how the author uses research to support her arguments; you could analyze the word choice, writing style, or use of narrative in the text. You should not merely summarize or restate the major points of the text; rather you should use critical summary to support your analytical argument. Use this assignment to demonstrate your ability to analyze a text. This analysis will not require outside research.
The Assignments Researched Argument Essay Choose an idea or topic from Overbooked that interests you. Ask a question about that topic that can be answered through research. (An effective research question should be complicated enough to have more than one simple answer, and it should be open- ended, meaning that it does not have a “right” answer.) When your research question has been “approved,” look for library-based resources that help to answer your question. You will need to read more texts than you will use in your essay. As you read, take notes on what you learn, and assemble an annotated bibliography containing seven sources (see below). Then select the most interesting and useful texts for answering your research question. Finally, write a researched, academic essay that explains the different answers to your research question. Your essay should include a thesis that argues for one (or more) of these answers and a clear presentation of how the research supports that interpretation. Use this assignment to demonstrate your ability (1) to conduct preliminary research, (2) incorporate source material, and (3) synthesize sources to support a sustained argument in response to an essential question.