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Lecture Strategies for an Intercultural Classroom Resources compiled by Agnieszka Herra

(Intercultural Academic Support Coordinator, QUIC and SASS) Email: agnieszka.herra@queensu.ca

x Denial Æ Adjustment x Transcultural approach x Undoing deficit thinking: diversity of values, knowledge, and experience x Improved academic outcomes

Intercultural Teaching Competence (ITC) Model (Dimitrov 2016) Reflective Tool for Instructors

1. Foundational Competencies

x Develop an awareness of their own cultural and disciplinary identities and positionality in the classroom

x Anticipate, value and accept differences among learners and ways of learning in order to create cultural safety and trust

x Model and encourage perspective-taking in the classroom

x Model and encourage non-judgmental approaches to exploring cultural, social, or other types of difference

x Model tolerance for ambiguity and help learners deal with the uncertainty involved in exploring difference

Practical Tips

x Intrapersonal awareness x Interpersonal awareness x Make knowledge systems visible x What are the new rules of the game? x What are the potential sites of

difference? x Explain rationale for course elements x Classroom Assessment Techniques

(CATs) o Provide useful information and

real-time feedback about student learning and effective teaching methods before high stakes assessment

o For international students, can help them understand learning expectations, types of assessments, learning objectives, etc.

o Types of CATs: Course-related knowledge and skills, student self-awareness, feedback on instruction methods

Student Academic Success Services: Learning Strategies and the Writing Centre

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2. Facilitation Competencies x Provide feedback across cultures in a

variety of ways x Tailor messages to audiences with

different levels of linguistic ability x Recognise the barriers students may

face in participating in class x Identify risk factors for learners that

might surface during classroom activities

x Build and navigate relationships with students who have different perceptions of power distance

x Articulate and mediate differences in the roles of teachers and learners across cultures

x Mentor students during their transition to new cultures and new disciplines

Practical tips x Goal of lowering the cognitive load of

students x Be aware of culturally specific language x Use of language for understanding:

plain English, analogies, concrete examples, low-context approaches, paraphrasing, repeating difficult concepts

x Verbal language and structure x Consistency of visual language x Use of multiple means of engagement x Create opportunities for language

practice x Communicate any major changes in the

course both verbally and in writing x Record your lectures if possible x Provide lecture outline or slides before

class if possible

3. Curriculum Design Competencies x Include concrete learning outcomes

related to intercultural or global learning at the course and curricular levels

x Incorporate content and learning resources that represent diverse perspectives, paradigms, or disciplinary approaches

x Create learning activities that allow students to explore difference and practice perspective-taking

x Design assessments that recognise and validate cultural differences in writing and communication styles

x Provide opportunities for students to reflect on and gain a better understanding of their own multiple cultural, personal, and disciplinary identities

Practical Tips x Include concrete learning outcomes

around the development of cross-cultural skills and awareness

x Use students’ cultural capital x Make explicit links to assessment x Draw on examples from a range of

contexts x Include subject matter relating to global,

inter-cultural and local perspectives x Consider international and cross-cultural

research findings and their implications x Explore how knowledge is constructed

and theorised differently across different cultures in your discipline

x Acknowledge and debate perspectives on the topic from a range of sources

x Assignments: open topics which enable students to draw upon their own prior knowledge, culture, and experiences so that they feel validated and empowered

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Interaction for Learning Framework (Arkoudis 2013)

x Planning for interaction x Creating environments for interaction x Supporting interaction x Engaging with subject knowledge x Developing reflexive processes x Fostering communities of learners

Practical Tips

x Participation: choreographing, shaping, valuing, inviting in x Explain the benefits of class discussions and articulate the role that active

learning plays in learning and retention x Poll the class about their experiences with group work and identify potential

sticking points, propose ways to address challenges, be explicit about difference, set ground rules

x Provide opportunities for students to reflect on and gain a better understanding of their own multiple cultural, personal, and disciplinary identities

x Modelling x Build confidence: Move from low-risk (not output based) to high-risk discussion

models in order to build trust x Cocreate communication norms x Create opportunities for peer learning and interaction among diverse learners x Create learning activities that allow students to explore difference and practice

perspective-taking x Ask students to identify ways in which they could learn more about other cultures

and ask them to commit to trying one or two. x Make group work formative (they meet more than once) so that they can get to

know each other, have experience of cross-cultural group work x Involve students in assessing examples of work to establish marking criteria and

expected quality x Be aware of conflict areas: accent intolerance x Debrief after activities to discuss the learning process, reflect on outcomes

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References

Arkoudis, S., Watty, K., Baik, C., Yu, X., Borland, H. Chang, S.,…Pearce, A. (2013). Finding common ground: Enhancing interaction between domestic and international students in higher education. Teaching in Higher Education, 18(3), 222-235.

Carroll, J., & Ryan, J. (2005). Teaching international students: Improving learning for all. New York: Routledge.

Dimitrov, N. & Haque, A. (2016) Intercultural teaching competence: A multi- disciplinary model for instructor reflection. Intercultural Education, 27 (5), 437- 456.

Ly, T. T. & Rinos, P. (2018). Teacher interactive and reflexive positionings in accommodating international students: implications for teacher professional development. Professional Development in Education, DOI: 10.1080/19415257.2018.1449005

MacGregor, A. & Folinazzo, G. (2018). Best practices on teaching international students in higher education: Issues and strategies. TESOL Journal, (9)2, 299-329.

O’Mahony, J. (2014). Enhancing student learning and teacher development in transnational education. York: Higher Education Academy. Retrieved from https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/enhancing-student-learning- and-teacher-development-transnational-education

Ryan, J. (2011). Teaching and learning for international students: towards a transcultural approach. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and practice, (17)6, 631- 648. Ryan, J. (Ed). (2013). Cross-cultural teaching and learning for home and international students: Internationalisation of pedagogy and curriculum in higher education. Abingdon: Routledge.

Salazar, M. D. C., Norton, A. S. & Tuitt, F. A. (2010) Weaving promising practices for inclusive excellence into the higher education classroom. To improve the academy, 28(1), 208-226.

Scudamore, R. (2013). Engaging home and international students: A guide for new lecturers. York: Higher Education Academy. Retrieved from https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/engaging-home-and- international- students-guide-new-lecturers

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The hidden values behind classroom communication Rosita Frei • Diversity-Oriented Writing Center • Tübingen University • October 23, 2018

The Hidden Values behind Classroom Communication Diversity in the classroom Students in today’s classrooms come from many different socio-cultural, ethnic, linguistic and discipli-nary backgrounds. There might be, for example:

x International students x Students with chronic health conditions and/or disabilities x First generation students x Mature students and students from the workforce x Students with family, e.g., parents and informal care-givers x Students with a migration background

So, each of these students has his or her own unique background, thus bringing in her or his own experiences, attitudes, values, and approaches, acquired in many different situations and under many different circumstances. The question that arises is:

Do individual backgrounds influence academic writing and, if so, how? Studies about differences in academic writing across borders There are differences in academic writing in cross-national contexts. Studies (amongst others: Ed-wards 2008; Foster 2006; Kaiser 2003) describe differences in, for example,

x writing style x structure of text x building of one’s view points x references to existing literature x critical reading and writing x problem-solving x citation (necessity, frequency)

Examples with regard to communication styles Amongst others

x explicit – implicit x affective (emotional) – neutral x discussions valued – discussions seen as disrupting harmony x criticism valued – criticism seen as extremely rude x sociolects / dialects x terminology (field specific)

Î Direct influence on individual writing styles An example from the Tübingen Writing Center’s everyday-experiences:

There is a student with a ‚High-Context‘ background. He writes his dissertation in German as a foreign language. He knows very well how to form short and understandable sentences. But sometimes he builds very long and complex sentences. He then refuses to shorten the sen-tences and make them more understandable. He explains: “Here I have to form a complex sentence, in order to express the complexity of the matter.” In German ‘Low-Context’ universi-ty culture it is expected to express explicitly that the matter is complex.

Examples with regard to values, attitudes and convictions Amongst others

x Understanding of one‘s role in society x Religious convictions x Understanding of human nature x Perspective on nature

Î Direct influence on the content of the writing project

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The hidden values behind classroom communication Rosita Frei • Diversity-Oriented Writing Center • Tübingen University • October 23, 2018

An example from the Tübingen Writing Center’s everyday-experiences:

A student with a strong hierarchical background has been asked to discuss and criticize the literature referred to in her thesis more thoroughly, which is essential in German university cul-ture. She tried very hard but was not able to meet her professor’s expectations. She explained to us that one of the authors was her professor, the other her employer and that she really can’t criticize them as they are higher in hierarchy. She said she knew she should, but she would feel very bad because this would mean acting against her values.

Changing from one to another writing-culture When changing from one to another writing-culture, students oftentimes face difficulties in adapting to the new environment. Misunderstandings may arise. It is even more difficult for them when they are not aware of the differences. Oftentimes they face difficulties although they are aware of the expecta-tions in the new environment.

Yes, individual backgrounds have an impact on academic writing! The visible part of the impact, such as structure, style, language, is easily detectable.

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisbergmodell

The invisible part of the impact, such as values, assumptions, expectations, is more difficult to perceive. But it still may cause difficul-ties, misunderstandings and misjudgments

Strategies for dealing with hidden values in classroom communication

x Be aware of the influence of individual background on academic writing. x Be aware of your own experiences, values, attitudes, approaches, etc., and how they might in-

fluence your judgement of academic writing. x Listen to and make use of different perspectives in your class. x Encourage individual perspectives in academic writing. x Encourage different individual approaches to the writing process. x Encourage Peer-to-Peer-learning and Peer-to-Peer feedback. x Apply different teaching methods whenever possible. x Make clear what you expect. x Question your own standards. x Welcome and value diversity.

List of references Edwards, V., An, R. (2009) ‘Building on experience: meeting the needs of Chinese students in British Higher Education.’ In: Internationalising the university: the Chinese context. e.d. by Coverdale-Jones, T., Rastall, P. Palgrave: Basingstoke, 185-205

Foster, D. (2006) Writing with Authority: Students' Roles as Writers In Cross-National Perspective. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP

Kaiser, D. (2003) ‘„Nachprüfbarkeit“ versus „Originalität“: Fremdes und Eigenes in studentischen Texten aus Venezuela und Deutschland.‘ In: Wissenschaftlich schreiben - lehren und lernen. ed. by Ehlich, K., Steets, A. Berlin: Gruyter, 307-309, 321-322

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Human Rights & Equity Office (2018)

Information & Resources Responding to micro-aggressions and everyday (casual) racism in the classroom

Definitions:

Casual (Everyday Racism): vague, commonplace, just-below-the-surface acts of racism that include insults, indignities or demeaning messages sent to racialized and indigenous folk.

Micro-aggression: seemingly innocuous statements (jokes), actions and attitudes (looks, body language, sighs, etc.), which can be direct or indirect. They exclude/other persons who are not part of the dominant group.

The Basics of Everyday Racism: https://medium.com/@tiedr/basics-of-everyday-racism-b355c0d00ca3

A visual representation of the everyday of “microaggressions.”

http://www.microaggressions.com/

Everyday Tips:

• Assume racism/oppression continues to happen, both subtly and blatantly, every day.

• Initiate discussions about racism/oppression.

• Notice who is at center of power.

• Notice how racism is minimized, denied and justified.

• Understand connections between racism and other forms of oppression.

• Self-educate about racism, the ongoing colonial project, resistance and change.

Adapted from “Uprooting Racism”, Paul Kivel

Taking Action – Talia D’Souza (2016)

https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-classroom-management/responding-to-microaggressions-in-the-classroom/

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Human Rights & Equity Office (2018)

The acronym and steps below provide a guide on how to take ACTION rather than feeling frozen when faced with a microaggression.

Ask clarifying questions to assist with understanding intentions.

“I want to make sure that I understand what you were saying. Were you saying that…?”

Come from curiosity not judgment.

x Listen actively and openly to their response. x If they disagree with your paraphrase and clarify a different meaning, you could end

the conversation. If you suspect they are trying to “cover their tracks,” you may consider making a statement about the initial comment to encourage learning.

“I’m glad to hear I misunderstood you, because, as you know, such comments can be…”

x If they agree with your paraphrase, explore their intent behind making the comment. “Can you tell me what you were you hoping to communicate with that comment?”

“Can you please help me understand what you meant by that?”

Tell what you observed as problematic in a factual manner.

“I noticed that . . .”

Impact exploration: ask for, and/or state, the potential impact of such a statement or action on others.

“What do you think people think when they hear that type of comment?”

“As you know, everything speaks. What message do you think such a comment sends?”

“What impact do you think that comment could have on …”

Own your own thoughts and feelings around the impact.

“When I hear your comment I think/feel…”

“Many people might take that comment to mean…”

“In my experience, that comment can perpetuate negative stereotypes and assumptions about… I would like to think that is not your intent.”

Next steps: Request appropriate action be taken.

“Our class is a learning community, and such comments make it difficult for us to focus on learning because people feel offended. So I am going to ask you to refrain from stating your thoughts in that manner in the future. Can you do that please?”

“I encourage you to revisit your view on X as we discuss these issues more in class.”

“I’d appreciate it if you’d consider using a different term because it is inconsistent with our course agreement regarding X…”

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Human Rights & Equity Office (2018)

When practiced, the ACTION framework can be a tool that is quickly retrieved out of your mental toolbox to organize your thoughts and unpack the microaggression in a way that addresses the situation and cools down tension.

When students make comments that are microaggressive in the classroom, doing nothing is a damaging option (Souza, Vizenor, Sherlip, & Raser, 2016).

Foundational research and reading:

Anne E. Wagner (2005) Unsettling the academy: working through the challenges of anti‐racist pedagogy, Race Ethnicity and Education, Vol.8 no.3, 261-275

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/13613320500174333

Derald S.W. et al. (2007) Racial Microaggression in Everyday Life: Implications for Clinical Practice. American Psychologist, Vol 62. No. 4, 271-286

https://journals.scholarsportal.info/pdf/0003066x/v62i0004/271_rmielifcp.xml

In Faculty Focus Special Report: Diversity and Inclusion in the College Classroom (2016). Magna Publication

http://provost.tufts.edu/celt/files/Diversity-and-Inclusion-Report.pdf

October 23, 2018 Supporting International Students in the classroom:Lee Richard: Building intercultural competency – both for you and

your studentsFurther reading and resources

Resources – Further reading on intercultural approaches to instruction and student support

Carnegie Mellon – Eberly Center:• Teaching across cultures: Online resource that covers Intercultural

perspectives to instruction in Western and non-Western classrooms– http://eberly.cmu.edu/teaching-across-cultures

• Recognising & Addressing Cultural Variations in the classroom –A guide for faculty teaching in a multi-cultural setting– https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/resources/PublicationsArchives/I

nternalReports/culturalvariations.pdf

Western University – Teaching Support Centre• Western Guide to Mentoring International Students Across

Cultures:– https://www.uwo.ca/tsc/faculty_programs/pdf/PG_3_Mentoring

AcrossCultures.pdf

Resources - Further reading on development of intercultural competencies

Bennett, M.J. (2004). Becoming Interculturally Competent. In J. Wurzel (Ed.), Toward multiculturalism: A reader in multicultural education (pp. 62-77). Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.

Deardorff, D. (2006). The Identification and Assessment of Intercultural Competence as a Student Outcome of Internationalization at Institutions of Higher Education in the United States. Journal of Studies in International Education, 10 (3) pp. 241-266. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315306287002

Strategies – Facilitating active student engagement in class

• Set aside a specific time during the class where Q&A can take place (ex. leave time at the end of class for questions, students will know when questions will be fielded and hopefully prepare)

• Post questions in advance of class. This will give students time to prepare an answer.• Post notes in advance of class• Zero tolerance of ridicule of accents, or requests for clarification of culturally specific

questions in the classroom• Allow students time to confer with a partner before responding to a question in class

(think, pair, share) approach• Online forum/format to provide feedback/ask questions (i.e. interactive teaching

tools such as poll everywhere, learning catalytics, etc.) used throughout class• Anonymous “exit survey” to allow students to ask questions. These are reviewed at

beginning of next class

Strategies – Facilitating active student engagement in class (cont.)

• Post questions in advance of class. This will give students time to prepare an answer• Scaffold classroom Q&A

– Pre: Post questions in advance– During: Groupwork, in-class interaction– Post: Discussion boards

• 1 minute feedback writing exercise at end of class• Journal writing assignments, provide feedback• Form discussion groups within the class, have groups submit questions before each

class

Strategies – Laying ground work for collaboration in group work

• Provide process for formation of groups• Clear assignment design that values group work (not divide & content)• Giving enough time/guidance for groups to form and decide on work-flow (both

in and out of class time)• Roles and responsibilities contract for participants to fill-out

– Guidelines on how to work in groups• Integrate tools such as Google sheets as a resource to keep group work on track• Have groups schedule regular meetings with instructor (meetings count towards

final mark)• Templates for potential distribution of tasks• Time set aside for in person consultation with groups, either in-class or out

Working with Students with English as an Additional Language

In addition to sentence-level language issues, EAL students may also face challenges related to differences in culture. This chart provides some interculturally-aware communication strategies for providing feedback to EAL students.

Issue Suggested Phrasing Rationale Unclear meaning

“As your reader, this is how I interpret this.” “As someone with English as my first language, I read this as…”

Clarifies given meaning and gives student opportunity for self-correction.

Writing by a speaker of a Global English

“As a person from Canada, I read this as / I understand this to mean… / I picture X when I read this. Is that your intended message?” “Who is your audience? What variety of English will be most accessible to them?” “I don’t have X in my English. Is X part of your English?”

Identifies differences in dialect without assuming superiority of Canadian English.

Awkward or problematic structure / style

“I notice you have done X. Can you describe why you chose this approach?” “Is this approach common in the literature?” “The convention at Queen’s / in Canada is to…”

Avoids culturally-based assumptions about writing styles and conventions.

Incomplete idea development / critical thinking

“Can you describe the main point of this section?” “When I read this, I understand X as your main point. Am I missing anything?”

Creates an opportunity to determine whether the issue is related to language or critical thinking.

Improper vocabulary choice

“When I read [this word], I think of X. Is that what you mean?” “Using this word suggests X to your (Canadian) reader. Is that what you want to convey?” “What word does the literature uses to discuss this?”

Probing for better vocabulary can also help the student with higher order concerns, like argumentation.

To help intercultural students develop their academic writing skills, you might suggest these strategies:

Issue Suggested Strategy How It Works Writing in another variety of English

Codemeshing – see Young, 2011

Bring together home dialect and local dialect to create effective and authentic work.

Not adhering to cultural conventions of style and structure

Patchwriting – see Hilton, 2018

Parse a piece of writing to produce a style/structure template for new writing.

Not using discipline-specific vocabulary

Lexical Notebook – see Dowling, 2004

Focus on acquiring new language instead of correcting word choice errors. Record new language in ‘chunks’ by always including example phrases.

Student Academic Success Services: Learning Strategies and the Writing Centre

© 2018 Student Academic Success Services, Joseph S. Stauffer Library, Queen’s University, 101 Union Street, Kingston, ON K7L 5C4 Canada. Email: academic.success@queensu.ca; online: http://sass.queensu.ca.

This handout is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Canada License.

References

Dowling, Shaun. (2004). “Lexical Notebook.” Teaching English: BBC, British Council. <https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/lexical-notebooks>, (18 October 2018).

Rasband Hilton, N. (July 2 2018). “A Colorful Patchwork: Patchwriting with Color-Coding for Multi-Language Writers.” in The Dangling Modifer.

Young, V. A. (2011). “Should Writers Use They Own English?” in Writing Centres and the New Racism: A Call for Sustainable Dialogue and Change. eds. Greenfield and Rowan. pp 61 – 72.

© 2018 Student Academic Success Services, Joseph S. Stauffer Library, Queen’s University, 101 Union Street, Kingston, ON K7L 5C4 Canada. Email: academic.success@queensu.ca; online: http://sass.queensu.ca.

This handout is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Canada License.

Student Academic Success Services: Learning Strategies and the Writing Centre