Challenges affecting international students in Australia
1.0 Challenges facing international students in Australia
1.1 Introduction
The need for higher education has prompted many students to seek further studies in international colleges outside their countries and Australia has become an academic hub for international students who mostly come from developing nations in Asia and Africa. The students, once they secure a place in this schools, they are subjected to a new environment which comes with different challenges. International students in Australia have become an integral part of the society both social and economical. However the students face a myriad of challenges before fully adopting to the new learning culture. In this report, the focus is centered in the analysis of challenges facing the international students in Australia and strategies the institutions and students have resolved to use to address the problems. The case reviews the social as well as economic factors which affect these students in the processes of their academic pursuits.
1.2 Social Issues
1.2.1 Language Barrier:
There are several social issues that affect the international students in Australia. The major social issue is basically language barrier. According to Sawir (2005), prior research indicates that many international students from Asia, studying in Australia, face serious learning difficulties and lack confidence in speaking and taking a proactive role in classrooms and surrounding environment. Language barrier creates communication barriers between the lecturers and some students especially from Asian countries and can lead to dismal academic performance while at the same time separating themselves from mainstream society. The...
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...on to the students about the university and its environment, before enrolment. Offering part-time job placement and coordinating with surrounding firms to assist the students can be of great help to the society.
3.0 References
Marginson, S, Deumert, A, Nyland, C, Gaby Ramia & Sawir, E, The Social and Economic Security of international students in Australia: Study of 202 student cases, Monash Institute for the Study of Global Movement, Monash University
Morris, J, E, 2009, Approaches and strategies to foster a culture of academic honesty: how can we help students develop an understanding of good academic practice? Oxford, United Kingdom Higher Education Academy
Sawir, E, 2005, Language difficulties of international students in Australia: The effects of prior learning experience, Australia, Education Faculty, Monash University
William Damon, a professor of education at Stanford University, analyzes the value of honesty and the ways in which people in our current society may be falling short of or disrespecting the moral and ethical responsibility of honesty. His article “The Death of Honesty”, written in a formal style and neutral tone, uses the appeals of logos and ethos to convince the reader of this societal dysfunction. He first considers the fact that honesty has some exceptions in which it is acceptable to lie. Secondly, he discusses the importance of candor in human relationships, and that dishonesty is socially impairing our current society. Lastly, he analyzes educational settings which seem to be in recent years neglecting to teach and reinforce morals
...ion in Australian schools: national plan for languages education in Australian schools 2005–2008. Retrieved 14, 2011, from http://www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/languageeducation_file.pdf
The goal of this research is to find out why the immigrant students have to face more challenges in the level of education they achieve, the high level poverty that they face in their daily lives and all the confusing networks they have around them which they have no clue of how to utilize it. Also, the research focusses on the fewer resources immigrant students have while achieving their goals. The research question is important as it does affect all immigrant students and their respective families and not limited just to the immigrant. I am sure many families move to a different country to achieve better education and to make a brighter future for themselves and their loved ones. These families come with so much hope and faith, but in return they are bombarded with so much confusing information that it’s very easy for them to get lost and give up. At last, children are the future and if from being they don’t have the correct resources then how will they achieve their goals.
Mr Ali explains the difficulty of not knowing any English in Australia in the quote shown below:
Since the 1980s, Australia has seen some of the most significant social and political change in its history. In these past decades, liberalism and marketization have swept through the country, heralding an era of neoliberalism. As neoliberalism has proliferated through Australian society, once public institutions are now becoming corporatized, with the education system no exception. In the late 1980s, the Hawke government’s economic reform impacted education greatly, with universities impacted the most at the time. Public funding for higher education was altered, forcing universities to compete for research funds, increase international student quotas, and seek funding from the private sector. This was accompanied by a substantial
One of the first and most common problems most, if not all international students face when they first arrive in the UK for study is culture shock. culture shock is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary(2014) as the feeling of disorientation experienced by someone when they are suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes. When students first move to the UK they observe and experience several things for the first time and it tends to overwhelm them. New international students often find themselves feeling powerless and unimportant which often forces them into self-isolation(Bailey, 2005). The culture shock also tends to result in the students being unable to make friends in their new community because they are unsure of what is customary and regarded in good light (Bailey, 2005).
In addition to spending more on the actual education and university fees, the international students also have to spend on boarding and food. Finding a place to stay that is conveniently near to the university and other places of interaction, is affordable, accepts immigrants, and suits the basic requirements - is hard, sometimes impossible. A compromise on at least one criterion of the above is required to sustain in the new country.
Australia is one of the most popular destinations study among overseas students. The numberof international students increased drastically these past few years. In fact, there were around 685,000 international students studying in Australia in 2017, with approximately half this number studying at a tertiary level (1). Alongside problems such accommodation, financial restraints and culture shock, many overseas students struggle the most with social isolation (2) while transitioning into an Australian university.
Academic Honesty requires honesty in all things, students should not participate in plagiarism, fabrication or falsification, cheating, and academic dishonestly. If a student is involved in any of these acts the student Honor Code office should be notified. There is a procedure in place for handing situation of this nature.
Cultural issues affect mostly the students and we can recognize these barriers in students when they have difficulty in communicating when they have no language in common, which affects their social life as well. Also, if the students feel uncomfortable talking or mingling with students of opposite gender or different religion due to what they grew up with. The issue of cultural or language barrier can lead to behaviours such as prejudice, restrict them access to resources, may make them feel over-stressed (Poputoaia). In addition, they also have a
The study of enrollment trends in groups of international students shows how changes in a university’s environment and characteristics will affect its total enrollment (Paulsen). According to the Institute for International Education, the number of international students studying at American colleges and universities increased by 5.1 percent in the 1997-98 school year to a total of 481,280 (Honan). Fifty-percent of these students enter universities as undergraduates with the rest entering to pursue a graduate or professional education. (edupass.org) Remarkably, fifty-percent of those undergraduates are enrolled in community colleges (Backman, 1984), and according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, twice as many international students are enrolled in community colleges as where ten years ago (Desruissueaux, 1998).
The student living in the foreign countries have to adapt to the new country and its cultures. This ability to adapt to the new and very different environment is vital to their wellbeing during their stay as students. While this may seem like a daunting and difficult task, thee risks are worth taking. Exposure to a new culture and environment brings a closer bond among the concerned individuals. The foreign students get a chance to interact and know each other’s cultures (White, 361). This exposure to new cultures fosters bonding and friendship among the students that sometimes are long lasting. However, this is a dying trend because current trends suggest that the foreign students align themselves with students from the same community. They identify with those whom they share a similar culture and shut out the rest of the students body. These international students should not segregate themselves in this manner for several reasons; instead, they should mingle freely with the perceived “local” students.
International students face many different challenges when studying abroad. This is due to many factors. First they are living in a country very far away from their own. The country they are studying in also has a very different way of life than theirs. Also the laws in foreign country are much different than the laws in their own country. Due to that they face a lot of problems trying to adapt to this new culture. Me personally as an international student in the US studying in ASU have faced three particularly difficult challenges that I was able to overcome through time. In this essay I will explain how international students can overcome tough challenges and situations.
...iences in life could help people in their lives and in their job as well. It is hard to leave one’s country and family to study, but students will get the results after graduation.
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