Introduction

Beyond Awareness - Teaching International Students

Transcript

Strategies for Success in Today’s Intercultural Educational Environment

• Between 2006 and 2007, education-related spending by overseas students in Australia was values at more than $11 Billion in export earnings.
• In 2006, International Students made up 25% of all students studying in Australian Universities.
• In 2007, International Students made up 46% of all students studying at Bond University representing 75 countries.

Liz Spencer, Assistant Professor of Law

Teaching foreign students at Bond is a challenge, it's a wonderful challenge.

Jonathon Sargeant, Assistant Professor of Education

The mix and the melting pot that is provided by international students with nearly 50% of the University population represented by people from international countries, that brings a fabulous resource to my teaching.

Gregory Gass, Professor of Exercise and Sport Science

We want international students to reach the same standards as our own students, but we want to make sure that we are not setting them up to fail

Beata Webb, Assistant Professor Applied Linguistics

So it’s not just a skill that you need as a language teacher, I think it is a skill that you need as a citizen of the world, to be able to deal with people who speak different languages, who speak with different accents

Debra Henly, Professor of Health, Sciences and Medicine

Value the rich cultural environment that we have here, and we don’t work against it, we work with the cultural differences and the International influences to benefit everybody, and provide a wonderful understanding of each others culture and backgrounds; we celebrate people’s national days, we celebrate when they turn up to graduation in national costume, which always looks fabulous, so I think we absolutely embrace those differences that make us a very unique university

Robert Stable, Vice-Chancellor, Bond University

Bond is the only University in Australia that was established from the outset as an International University. Our founders said then, 20 years ago, that they intended that the University would have 50% of its students from other countries. This four part video series is designed specifically to assist our academics to better manage classes which are composed of students from all over the world, from different cultures, different religions, different nationalities, all adding a great depth to the learning experience here at Bond. We certainly appreciate that you are all very busy and the fact that you’ve taken time out to watch this series, means that you consider, as we do, that this is very important to the University and to our students. We hope that by participating that it has taken you Beyond Awareness and that you have developed a better understanding, not only professionally, but also personally of the issues involved with having a dynamic mix of international and domestic students in your classes.