Create welcoming classrooms for international students

Advice on how to give international students rich and inclusive learning experiences

Silhouettes of people walking on top of the pages of an open book against a backdrop of the globe

International students bring diverse perspectives, cultural backgrounds and global insights that contribute to a vibrant learning environment for both educators and their fellow students. However, they require support interventions tailored to their unique needs as they transition to study in a foreign country. This collection of resources offers advice on how to assist them in navigating new systems, encourage their classroom engagement and help them become work ready.

How to support international students’ smooth transition to a new country

Orientation is an ongoing process for international students, so welcome programmes need to extend further than a single day. Here, Mengping Cheng explains how to support new arrivals throughout their adjustment

Mengping Cheng

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

Helping international students transition on to campus

International students

Five useful measures for welcoming students to international classrooms

Preeti Aghalayam explains why it’s worth examining the effectiveness of your teaching, acknowledging the changes needed for an inclusive classroom and how to do it

Preeti Aghalayam

Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Young Asian student on campus

Helping international students in their transition to US institutions

International students enrich and add value to American campuses. Here, Ashlee Toomey-Flinn offers practical tips for helping them transition successfully into their US university experience

Ashlee Toomey-Flinn

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Student in new city

How to help international students prepare for university life ahead of and after their arrival

Ayten Ordu provides five top tips that will help ensure international students have a smooth transition to their new surroundings

Ayten Ordu

Near East University

Someone from behind walking with a suitcase

Taking the shock out of culture shock: helping international students navigate transitions, part one

Inga Ackermann outlines what steps institutions can take to prepare international students for the potential culture shock they may experience on arrival at their new university

Inga Ackermann

The University of Edinburgh

Taking the shock out of culture shock: helping international students navigate transitions, part two

Inga Ackermann shares advice on helping students manage and overcome culture shock after their arrival at a university overseas or far from home

Inga Ackermann

The University of Edinburgh

Internationalising the curriculum

Linguistic racism in universities can have an adverse effect on mental health

Linguistic racism can take a high toll on international students

Even seemingly innocuous comments on the way that students use dominant local languages can have severe effects on mental health, says Sender Dovchin

Sender Dovchin

Curtin University

Student doctors practising clinical skills on a plush bear

How to teach clinical communication skills in a foreign language from scratch

This hands-on approach to clinical practice integrates content and language and enables both local and international students to acquire communication skills and vocabulary alongside activities relevant to medical practice

Katalin Fogarasi, Judit Császár

Semmelweis University

Multilingual concept

How to support multilingual international students in the classroom

Multilingual students face unique challenges that affect their participation and communication in the classroom, but educators can take steps to make them feel welcome

Andrea Feldman

University of Colorado Boulder

Image of the globe

When East meets West: improving student engagement in culturally diverse classrooms

TJ Moore offers simple steps that support student engagement across Eastern and Western cultural boundaries, for lecturers teaching at home or overseas

TJ Moore

The University of Edinburgh

Bringing international and intercultural dimensions into your programmes

Jeanine Gregersen-Hermans and Karen M. Lauridsen address how educators may create an internationalised learning experience for all students by including global and intercultural dimensions in curriculum design and delivery

Jeanine Gregersen-Hermans, Karen M. Lauridsen

Zuyd University, Aarhus University, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

Skills development and career support

Asian students

How to create and run pre-sessional courses to enhance future success

A team from the University of Nottingham Ningbo China outline the starting points for providing short-term English proficiency courses for non-native speakers

Multiple authors

University of Nottingham Ningbo China

Multiracial mature-age students

What about lifelong learning for international students?

International students might not be comfortable with the student-centred mindset that underpins continuous, self-directed learning. We must prepare them for lifelong learning so they are not left behind, argues Graham Wise

Graham Wise

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

International students needs careers advice too

Don’t forget that international students need careers support too

Just 2 per cent of international students find jobs through UK universities’ careers services – a big failure given their economic input, says Alexis Brown

Alexis Brown

Higher Education Policy Institute

People studying together in a classroom

Lessons from organising a virtual international student camp focused on sustainability

Yhing Sawheny and Ashutosh Mishra offer advice on organising a virtual international event after bringing students together online to hone their leadership skills in sustainability

Yhing Sawheny, Ashutosh Mishra

Siam University

Unearthing the hidden curriculum in international classrooms

How educators can help international students navigate the unspoken assumptions, expectations and norms of US higher education

Andrea Feldman

University of Colorado Boulder

Building belonging and inclusivity

International students in class

Navigating the choppy waters of intercultural differences in an international classroom

Farish A. Noor draws on three decades of teaching across different continents to offer advice on the challenges inherent in teaching students from diverse backgrounds

Farish A. Noor  

University of Malaya

A lecturer sitting on a desk speaking to students in an informal manner

The hows and whys of improved interactions with international students

Strategies for overcoming potential cultural differences and supporting better academic-international student relationships

Lenka Janik Blaskova

University of Exeter

How to stop unintentionally discriminating against international university students in your classroom through your pedagogy

How to stop unconsciously discriminating against international students

Using enquiry-based learning gives overseas students agency and helps them decide for themselves how they want to be included in the learning process, says Dylan Williams

Dylan Williams

Seoul National University

Advice on bringing international and intercultural dimensions into your curricula

Bringing international and intercultural dimensions into your programmes

Jeanine Gregersen-Hermans and Karen M. Lauridsen address how educators may create an internationalised learning experience for all students by including global and intercultural dimensions in curriculum design and delivery

Jeanine Gregersen-Hermans, Karen M. Lauridsen

Zuyd University, Aarhus University, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore