Abstract
English is the most powerful international lingua franca of the millennium, a language of globalization, a significant economic and political source of authority and a contributing asset to the growth of intercultural communication in the global context (Hatos, 2006; Tsuda, 2008). Its ubiquity has created a rich English language teaching (ELT) industry, which has opened up employment opportunities for both native and non-native speakers of English. In addition, the rise of English has motivated non-native speakers to study the language at home and/or abroad in order to acquire fluency and utilize these English language skills as effectively as they can in their career plans. According to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Tunisia (2016), 2,029 international students were enrolled in the Tunisian universities. In general, when these international students enter a new social environment, they are taking an intercultural crossing journey, which can be difficult and challenging because it involves coping with unfamiliarity and anxiety. They may find many cultural differences between their host country and their home countries (Gu & Maley, 2008). This session introduces a practical approach to the inclusion of international students that is based on ‘self-reflection’. With a range of pretested methods, participants have the opportunity to examine the ways in which they can be evidenced in students’ results. It provides an opportunity to explore and reflect on the linguistic and cultural challenges and overlaps for foreigners.
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
2022 Special Focus: Intercultural Learning in Plurilingual Contexts
KEYWORDS
Inclusion, Integrity, Plurilingual, Linguistic challenges, International students
