Abstract

Australian universities are undergoing a rapid process of internationalisation, evident in the large numbers of international students from non-English speaking countries in multicultural classes onshore, and ventures to offer Australian degrees offshore in quite different settings. This paper focuses on impacts of internationalisation on teaching and learning in Australia at both the institutional and individual levels. Internationalisation of higher education has caused considerable strains on academic staff and demands more flexible and adaptive approaches to teaching and learning. International students frequently find difficulties in learning across language and cultural divides, including different styles of teaching. This paper addresses the main challenges, compares practices from the extant literature, and argues for increased support for international students, and changes to teaching styles, methods and materials. Internationalisation of the curriculum is a separate process but one which conveys benefits to all students, regardless of their culture or national identity, as well as to the university and its stakeholders.