Overseas Students in Western Universities

Assignment One Use information from the Leslie and Smith (2004) survey to account for the difficulty that new overseas students in Western universities encounter in their pursuit of academic success. Refer also to Ballard (1996) to support some of the points you make. In this global age, studying abroad has become an inevitable trend and, for overseas students, western universities are the priority choices to study in.

Studying abroad is a good chance not only to expand the knowledge as well as the mind but also to grow up independently. Nerveless, those students who have already achieved satisfactory core of TOEFL or LILTS still meet several difficulties during the process of pursuing academic achievement.

Above all, the analysis skill and active as well as independence attitude are two common weaknesses for students from non-western countries.

This essay will offer an explanation of what cause these weaknesses with Leslie and Smith (2004) survey and Ballard (1996) research. In data taken from Leslie and Smith’s survey (2004) some international students indicate the fact that the aim of education in the UK is completely different from the aim of education in non-western countries. The former is active and independent, but the latter is passive and reproductive. For example, one students claims that he is taught to believe the knowledge given from teachers.

The responsibility of student is to remember the knowledge (Leslie ; Smith, 2004: Respondent 6), while another students mentions directly, “l think learning is more passive in my country, and we have to be more active here.

” (Leslie ; Smith, 2004: Respondent 10) These data may be supported by Ballard (1996, up), who argues that, in many non- western countries, teachers strongly ask student to keep reserved attitude through productive learning skill which has been built up in primary and secondary western educational system.

Moreover, this difference is closely related to the different country cultures. In some societies, such as Japan or Islamic, the relationship between teachers and student is fixed and classed. Critical and questioning arguments are not receipted in the class room. Furthermore, the country culture also causes another weakness. Most international students also struggle in the analysis.

Because they are afraid of contradicting what teacher give or read from books, they seldom bring up their own ideas and opinions. As reported in Ballard (1996, P. ), when one Japanese student is asked by the teacher to address his opinions, he rejects to answer with the role of student. In the other hand, Ballard states another reason to account for inability to analyze – the training of language class is not insufficient for academic class. Take reading for instance, language class emphasizes on figuring out the correct article structure, while arguments.

This difference leads that international student cannot get used to studying abroad, even though those student may get high score in the language class ND exams.

The data from taken from Leslie and Smith’s survey (2004) can also support this statement. One student claims that she gets angry and depressed of studying and usually does not know what to do (Leslie & Smith, 2004: Respondent 12). As has been said, we can conclude two main reasons of two usual defects for non- western students’ English learning, one is deep-rooted culture influence and another is different aim of language class as well as academic class. They not only cause language learning but build up a vicious circle.