Teaching international students

I have been asked about strategies for teaching international students. In principle, we should continue focussing on group work and sharing experiences and thus building collaborative, reflective practices. So the strategies I am presenting here for teaching international students are merely a reminder of good teaching practice, as they will be beneficial for all students.

Benefits of bilingualism

Often as teachers we find it difficult to cater for all of our students' needs, but we should not forget that the needs may also be strengths. Here is a great visual that demonstrates the benefits of bilingualism, even if catering for English as Additional Language learners may sometimes feel an added burden.

The bilingual’s relationship with language

Having a bilingual child does not necessarily mean that the child’s relationship with languages is an easy one. It is possible that your bilingual child simultaneously loves and loathes languages.

Challenges in bilingual families no one tells you about

Bringing up a child bilingually is a conscious decision, but there are issues and challenges that bilingual families encounter that are not mentioned in any of those handbooks or parent guides. Knowing about these might have had led to fewer disappointments.