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

Teaching in a culturally diverse setting is exciting, but that excitement and enthusiasm can be short-lived when faced with the deafening silence of a student audience. To avoid this, lecturers need to learn how to engage students in culturally different or diverse settings, and this is easy enough by following the three tips outlined below.

Whether teaching abroad or at home, two of the biggest obstacles we face in international education are language and culture. We assume that because students are in our classrooms, their English proficiency is at comparable levels to that of native speakers and they possess a baseline understanding of cultures.

While the lack of confidence in speaking or understanding a non-native language can be challenging and can reduce engagement, cultural differences can also be a minefield to the uninitiated. Respecting cultural diversity is one thing, having knowledge and understanding of these is another.

For example, in many cultures it is frowned upon for younger people to question or challenge an older or more senior person, even in an educational setting. Another example is that of “losing face”, whereby instead of taking the risk of making a mistake, say in providing the incorrect answer to a question, the person chooses not to engage at all. This inherently inhibits learning and the natural questioning and debate that higher education aspires to.

My experience of teaching in China and Malaysia highlighted the differences in pedagogic approaches between East and West. While Asian educational approaches lean more towards the didactic, Western approaches have become more learner-centred and activity based. That is not to say they are mutually exclusive – both can form important aspects of the educational journey.

Educational institutions should be environments in which students are encouraged to question established wisdom, as well as feeling safe enough to make mistakes – after all, learning from our mistakes is a powerful educational tool.

So how do we overcome the challenges of language and culture in the classroom and improve engagement for students from West and East? Having worked in higher education all over the world, including China, South-east Asia, Africa, Europe and the UK, I have developed the following simple strategies that work in a variety of settings and can easily be co-opted into academic practice.

1) Use plain English. Native English speakers can unintentionally get ahead of themselves in their choice of words and phrases, some of which may be unfamiliar or unknown to international students. A good example of this is the use of idioms, where language and culture are often intimately linked, causing confusion to those unfamiliar with them. Case in point, a few years ago I was teaching in China, and during a lecture I mentioned that a patient “was not a spring chicken any more”. This was met with confusion, followed by several minutes of explanation, and a fair amount of laughter – all great if you have the time, not if you have a lot of content to deliver. Use plain English where you can, and provide glossary sheets for words, terms and phrases where you can’t. Also remember to monitor the speed and tempo of your speech.

2) Build a rapport with your students. Students are more likely to engage with you if they can follow what you are saying, hence point one above, and if they believe and trust in you. From the beginning, showing that you are approachable and that your classroom is a safe environment for learning, and sometimes failure, can help open paths to wider communication with students. This can simply be by introducing yourself and sharing why your subject excites you and that you hope that it will inspire them too or sharing an interesting or humorous anecdote. A particularly effective method, if time allows, is hosting a voluntary, open Q&A session after a lecture, whereby students can come and talk to you one-to-one, in a less formal setting. Taking just a few moments, either before or after a teaching session, can make the world of difference to connecting with your students and improving engagement. This worked wonders for me with my students in China and eventually led to much more confidence during our in-class discussions. They quickly learned that I was invested in their educational journey.

3. Provide alternative formats for engagement. This is especially key early on, in engagement with a new cohort, and can circumvent some of the issues with language. Many non-native English speakers are more comfortable with reading than with listening and speaking.

An excellent alternative format is electronic polling. Using smart devices or laptops, students can read and respond to questions quickly and without fear of public failure causing loss of face. There are a variety of polling software and apps available, from stand-alone systems to those that can integrate with slide presentation software. The responses received can then guide the teacher in further explanations or provide a real-time fact-checking opportunity to see whether the content is accessible and has been understood. I have personally seen a dramatic improvement in engagement using these systems with students, especially when the responses are anonymous. As their confidence grows using the polling system, so does their confidence in engaging verbally – both with you as their teacher and with their peers.

These three pointers are straightforward but have the potential to dramatically improve culturally diverse, international student groups’ engagement, achievement and enjoyment of their learning experience.

Although teaching and learning approaches can often be seen as different in the East and West, there is always a middle ground where we can learn from each other. It requires us to be daring and prepared to try new or different approaches; after all, education is a lifelong process.

TJ Moore is a lead curriculum developer at the University of Edinburgh and is currently working with his team developing postgraduate biotechnology master’s programmes for delivery at their partner institution in India – Gujarat Biotechnology University. 

TJ is also a co-founder of the acclaimed HE online teaching resource site, Lecturemotely.com.