Tuesday 12 March

1800 - 2030 | British Council, 10 Spring Gardens, SW1A 2BN, London, UK

London

Psychosocial adjustment of international students in the UK

Lee Hawkes

A necessary precursor to achieving linguistic fluency in a foreign language is the successful

acculturative integration of a student’s sense of self into the host culture of the respective L2.

Sociological and sociolinguistic research concerning the behaviour and experiences of international

students finds that the level of successful sociocultural adaptation that language learners experience

while abroad varies considerably, and that the extent to which students acculturate is a strong

predictor for not only L2 gains, but also reported feelings of overall wellbeing and self-efficacy.The

presenter will discuss in detail a descriptive case study carried out at at Queen Mary, University of 

London, entitled 'Foreign students living and studying in London'.

Given the crucial role that positive acculturative experiences play in language acquisition, this is an

area that should be considered at an institutional level by all ESL/EAP course providers and

administrators. Moving beyond host families and social programmes, this presentation asks what can

be done to help foreign students feel a part of the country they are living in?       

Cultures of learning:  

What can we learn from international students?

Lixian Jin & Martin Cortazzi

With an increasing number of international students coming to study in Britain for the last decades,

apart from providing for their educational needs, British academics and educators have a duty to

understand the learning of their students, to care for their social, psychological and educational well-

being. More importantly British teachers – and students – should learn from international students who

have been successful learners in their own educational contexts. Arguably this is the next crucial step

in internationalization. Appreciating others’ cultures of learning may inspire further innovation in British

cultures of learning and teaching.

The presenters have been conducting research into cultures of learning for over 20 years, collecting

data from students and teachers of English in Britain, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia,

Turkey, Iran, Lebanon, using a number of research methods including more conventional uses of

questionnaires and interviews, observation, case studies and more innovative applications of narrative

and metaphor analyses and ethnographic interpretations of photos.

This presentation will discuss the key concepts of Cultures of Learning, give examples of  

international student experience in ways of learning, perspectives on educational success and how

classroom behaviour and different expectations of learning and teaching can be taken for granted or

misunderstood with intercultural consequences. Using our research results and easy-to-follow, but

surprising examples, we hope to raise and develop intercultural awareness of learning and share

insights into teaching issues. We propose a model of cultural synergies: developing professionalism

and values in international contexts.

Who is this for?

All English Language teachers - EFL, ESOL, EAL, EAP - from newly qualified to experienced.

Students and researchers.

Programme (approx.)

1800 – 1815 Welcome and refreshments

1815 – 1900 Psychosocial adjustment of international students in the uk with Lee Hawkes

1900 – 1915 Comfort break and refreshments

1915 – 2000 Cultures of learning with Lixian Jin & Martin Cortazzi

2000 – 2030 Networking reception

Every seminar is free of charge.

However places are limited.

@BCseminars 

bcseminars1@britishcouncil.org

www.teachingenglish.org.uk/seminars