Best Practices for Teaching International Students

Cheryl McFadden 
(Department of Higher, Adult, and Counselor Education, College of Education, East Carolina University, USA)

Abstract: Wǒ bù míngbái is a common phrase among Chinese international students enrolled in U.S. institutions. This phrase, “I don’t understand” is not limited to Chinese students but is often expressed by many other international students as they strive to succeed in courses overseas. A record high number of international students, 764,495, attended U.S. universities in 2011-2012 and this number has consistently increased since 2003-2004 (Chow & Bhandari, 2012). Are U.S. faculty prepared to teach these the ever-diversifying student body of our American institutions? Are there cultural differences among international students that faculty need to address when engaging in course design and delivery? This article seeks to address the best practices for teaching international students.

Key words: international students, course design and delivery, learning by doing, workforce skills