Journal of Research & Scholarly Output 2006 - Grimsby Institute of ...

Tutors need to be prepared and be aware of
the deep cultural backgrounds of their
students (Moloi, 2003; Dimmock, 2004;
Fink, 2001). This often means doing some
background research into the manners and
customs so that unintentional offence is not
caused (Hofstede ,1996). Equally, all agreed
that it was necessary to learn as much as
you can about the culture beforehand,
(Wong, 2004). At a social level, some tutors
acknowledged it can be difficult to make
small talk conversation – which reflects the
observation by Lumby, (2004) “an educator
is lacking essential breadth if practice
remains bounded by the values and
approaches which have emerged over time
in any one location”. To be able to relate on
a social level can be one of the most
effective strategies of learning transfer.
In addition, tutors should be aware of how
students respond and relate to you and take
appropriate action to ensure that no offence
is given and that learning outcomes are met.
The term “offence” refers to incidents that
would seem bad mannered or inappropriate,
e.g. shaking hands on introduction is not
always appropriate, particularly with Arabic
students. Shaking hands with an Arabic
woman who is not your wife, mother or
sister is not acceptable at all.
It was considered an appropriate teaching
strategy to engage the students by clearly
stating at the beginning of the course
exactly what is expected of them with
respect to their participation in lectures,
seminars, classroom discussion and
assignment requirements. However in doing
so, the tutor needs to understand where the
students are, metaphorically speaking, at
the beginning of the course and what
support the students may need to meet
those expectations. It is also just as
important for the tutors to reflect on where
they are, metaphorically speaking, in
preparation for teaching international
students and make necessary adjustments
to their style and expectations.
Recruiting students from different societies
has a positive impact not only on the
finances of the host University or Institute
but also to the wider community in general.
However, the university or institute needs to
ensure that appropriate study support for
these learners and staff development for the
tutors delivering the programmes is
available to ensure a quality education for
all. It was argued that there should be
resources available that give tutors a quick
guide to a learner’s culture, making sure that
they do not stereotype. One colleague went
further by suggesting:
“I think that there should be extra employees
devoted to areas within the institute to help
learners with summative assessments who
have subject knowledge for the curriculum
areas as well as an understanding of ESOL”.
In conclusion, it became clear that teaching
a cohort of international students can be
problematical if cultural, societal and
language differences are not recognised or
acknowledged. It is not safe to assume that
learning transfer can be successful without
understanding the formative background of
the student. The modifications required in
teaching style may in practice only be minor,
such as lengthier explanations, teaching at a
slower pace, additional study support on
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