Experiences

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How to be an international teacher?

By Ana Flavia Badue

When we first meet new people, places and things, we establish connections between them and situations we already know. Becoming a teacher in a new country is, in this sense, also a matter of creating connections between our previous background and the new context. At first, we compare the college, the students, the conventions of the syllabus to our previous understanding of teaching. Some international PhD students have never taught before, even in their home countries, so the comparison is between their new position as teachers and their previous experience as a student! In these cases, teaching in a new country (and often also in a foreign language) can be scary.

With time, however, we get used to our new position: we learn about the school and the context in which we teach, and we begin to make sense of what we do in new terms. Sometimes, however, the immersion in the new context ends up weakening the previous knowledges, those which were so important in the beginning to help us make sense of our world. The old frameworks begin to vanish. Some of us experience this moment as an identity crisis: I’m not from here, but I’m no longer from there. What kind of teacher am I? What is education? How do I fit in this process? What should I keep from my background? What should I incorporate from the U.S.? All these questions should not be a source of anxiety, although many people feel it that way. They are actually a source of improvement, and you can use them to better your teaching practices! But how? Here are some suggestions that come from when you are teaching in the US:

I’m not from here, but I’m no longer from there. What kind of teacher am I? What is education? How do I fit in this process? What should I keep from my background? What should I incorporate from the U.S.?

  1. Do not mask your accent

If you are teaching in the CUNY system, many of your students were not born in the US (or are second generation) (click here for more info on CUNY students). I’ve had many international students come to me and say that they’re glad to see that someone “like them” can speak in public. Some say that they feel inspired because they  see that they can work in the US even if they are not native speakers. This is not an isolated case: there are many studies that show how racial inequality is produced through language So do not see your language as a problem, but as a solution and a form of empowering students. Moreover, if you are teaching topics like translation or cultural differences, you can use your own experiences with English if you feel comfortable talking about yourself. When I teach structuralist theory in anthropology, I compare sounds in Portuguese and in English to show that the way we speak and the sounds we listen are not natural, but are culturally and structurally predefined. Then, I invite the students to think of their contact with other languages, and I open space if they want to share personal experiences that might be connected to the content of the class. In my experience as an international teacher, recognizing language differences is a positive way of empowering students, on the one hand, and of creating an equitable atmosphere in class, on the other hand.

2. Combine teaching methods that you experienced before with new ones

Depending on the context, pedagogic strategies vary, so when you begin teaching in a new country, it is difficult to find a balance between what you’ve learned before and what you are expected to teach now. One example of balancing strategies concerns students participation. In the U.S., students are used to speak in class; in other countries, students participation varies, and in some places, they are expected to listen more than speak. One of the best ways of dealing with situations of uncertainty is to combine methods you are comfortable with, with some new methods to adapt to a new context. You don’t have to be someone else, and you’re probably a better instructor if you, at least initially, stay close to what feels good to you. If you feel more comfortable with lecturing than with participation, arrange your syllabus in such a way that you can create both situations. You can lecture on Mondays and have discussions on Wednesdays, for example. Or you can designate specific moments of the semester to group work, as a complement to the lectures. There is no need to completely change your teaching methods the first second you teach somewhere else.

Do not forget to make clear to your students what you expect from them right at the beginning of the semester. It’s all about clearly communicating expectations. You can give examples of how you want them to participate – listening, asking questions, debating, etc. If you explain what sort of participation you expect, you guarantee that the students will be aware of the particularities of your class, which helps them navigate your course.

In my case, in Brazil, where I’ve had my higher education experience and where I’ve taught in a community college, the curriculum is predefined, and students pursue their majors with the same cohort. Consequently, they know each other and when I asked them to discuss in groups, it was easy to make them speak and exchange ideas. At Baruch College, because the students have different schedules, they barely know each other, and when I ask them to discuss or to work together, they tend to look and talk to me rather than talk to one another. To make them more comfortable with one another, I asked them to introduce themselves using pop culture references, and explain that instead of talking to me, they should talk among themselves (see these series of blog posts on the TLC’s blog, Visible Pedagogy, on Rethinking Participation and Discussion Strategies). I also share that in my experience, students learn better when they know each other, because they can interact more and share their ideas. In short, I tried to construct a participatory environment that I feel comfortable leading, and I also made it clear to them.

3. Incorporate some material from your cultural background to improve the content of your class.

If you are familiar with the scholarship produced in your home country, do not hesitate to assign these materials, like texts, videos or images. As long as they are in English or have subtitles, it is a great opportunity for the students. They can have access to thoughts and ideas that would be inaccessible otherwise. When I teach political anthropology, I like to give examples from Native Brazilian peoples who have no political leadership in Western terms. I combine texts in English from authors like James Scott and Pierre Clastres, and I use Native Brazilian myths to talk about other forms of political organization.

If you do not want to be the only one talking about different contexts, you can use this moment in your course to invite students to bring pieces from their background as well. Pedagogically speaking, one of the most effective ways of learning is to depart from elements that are close to us. Constructivist theories defend that we can build knowledge by questioning, reflecting and explaining things that are close to us, as a way of going from the concrete to the abstract. In my courses, I usually ask students to bring videos or written pieces that illustrate, empirically, the abstract theories and concepts we are discussing, and I strongly encourage them to bring some material that they encountered before.

In sum, try to find your balance, the point in which you feel comfortable teaching. If you are teaching in the U.S., it is very likely that you will not be the only foreigner in your classroom. In a CUNY classroom, you will never be: so use this in your favor! Explore the cultural and social differences instead of fearing them.

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Communication Strategies as an International Student Teacher

By Kyungjin Jo

Four years ago, when I was assigned to teach a Speech Communication class as a graduate teaching fellow, just imagining teaching the class made me feel anxious. Speech Communication is a mandatory course at Baruch College, designed to enhance students’ public speaking and presentation skills. I began to worry, asking myself, “How can I, a non-native English-speaking international graduate student with no teaching experience, possibly teach this class? How can I be a good instructor for class when I was not fully confident in my English proficiency? What if I made errors and stumbled over words while lecturing? What if I didn’t understand students’ questions?” With endless questions of my own, in a nutshell, I was not sure if I was qualified to teach this class.

Fortunately, after my experience in teaching this course over the last three years, I have become able to not just mitigate my stress and anxiety around teaching a speech class, but also navigate those feelings into productive teaching and learning moments. I realized that change could happen when I was open with my students regarding my concerns. As the article “Communication Strategies for Non-Native English Speakers” by Ohio State University’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching suggests, being open about your concerns around possible language or cultural barriers with students can be a good communication strategy, which can not only help you to dialogue with your students, but can also contribute to creating a more interactive classroom atmosphere.

I realized that change could happen when I was open with my students regarding my concerns.

What if I make mistakes?

I used to worry that I would make mistakes or stumble over words. I thought that being unable to use perfect English while teaching was embarrassing, which would probably undermine my authority as teacher. Hoping to avoid those situations, I tried writing lecture scripts and practiced them to the point where I could memorize some of them. However, this effort was not only inefficient, but also pedagogically wrong because speech communication requires much spontaneous and dynamic conversation and interaction between my students and me.

Making mistakes and experiencing difficulties in communicating thoughts eloquently and efficiently shows that speaking, whether in a native language or not, is an ongoing process of practicing, learning, and improving.

Instead of covering up my previous concerns, I began to openly communicate them to my students. On day one, when I introduced myself to them, I positioned myself as an international teacher and told them I spoke English as my second language. I told them I might sometimes use awkward expressions and stumble over words. I asked them not to hesitate to ask for clarification whenever needed. I even checked with my students to see if my pronunciation of certain words sounded all right. When I would forget what to say momentarily, experiencing processing delays before speaking, I would jokingly ask my students, “Did you notice that I just used the fillers ‘uh’ and ‘um’ while collecting my thoughts? Don’t use them too often when you give your speech.” Throughout the semester, I would frequently check back to see whether my explanations of class materials needed any clarification by asking students questions, making them speak more in class, and thereby making the classroom atmosphere active and engaging.

Making mistakes and experiencing difficulties in communicating thoughts eloquently and efficiently shows that speaking, whether in a native language or not, is an ongoing process of practicing, learning, and improving. These challenges can be a lesson for Speech Communication class and motivate students to continue to work on expressing their thoughts clearly.

What if I don’t understand what students say?

I was also concerned I would not immediately understand what my students were saying. What if I ended up responding awkwardly because of a misunderstanding? In many cases, I could not clearly understand students’ questions and responses, when students spoke fast or slow or both, or when they used colloquial expressions, slang, and idioms. In the former case, I asked them to speak clearer, louder, and slower. In the latter case, I asked them to explain the slang and elaborate on what they said using familiar words. Articulating thoughts clearly, with a proper rate and volume, and using concrete and familiar words are all basic principles of public speaking. Thus, asking students to speak slowly and clearly is beneficial both for me and my students. When I discuss tips for giving an audience-centered speech, I mention that they probably will have ample chances to communicate with people who come from all over the world at school, in the workplace, and wherever they go abroad. I explain that one aspect of audience-centered speech in the globalized world is to be able to speak to multilingual audiences.

What if I am not familiar with American cultural references or jokes?

One of the challenges of teaching this course as an international student teacher was keeping up with American popular culture as well as political references, much of which I was not familiar with. Because Speech Communication is not related to my academic interests but involves engaging student-selected topics, I had to be able to respond to a wide range of issues. For example, in one speech session, I usually listen to eight persuasive speeches. One session might contain speeches on immigration, social media, obesity, food, abortion, stop-and-frisk, and the representation of Asian Americans in media. I am supposed to not only comment on the speaker’s skills, but also the depth of knowledge and the speaker’s critical thinking skills around his or her topics.

I always attach a “Things You Should Know For This Class” list to my syllabus, and one of the things I write is, “Fully embrace your background, and flaunt it in this class, as we, as a community, vow to reflect and appreciate the diverse cultures that exist in New York City.”

Becoming familiar with an array of current events and issues ongoing in America and around the globe can be overwhelming. On the other hand, once I began to consider my class as a site of collective teaching and learning, I no longer felt pressure that I must know everything that students want to talk about. Over the last three years, I learned a lot from my students and loved this mutual learning and teaching. Students are excited about sharing and exchanging knowledge. I also did not hesitate to bring my Korean background into the classroom. Many students wanted to relate to me through their interest in Korean television shows and K-pop. I always attach a “Things You Should Know For This Class” list to my syllabus, and one of the things I write is, “Fully embrace your background, and flaunt it in this class, as we, as a community, vow to reflect and appreciate the diverse cultures that exist in New York City.”

I am sure about one thing from my experience: Talking openly about my accent and a possible language barrier will not undermine your authority, as long as you are passionate about the course content and care about your students’ learning.

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