How Can International Students Overcome Their Biggest Obstacle In An American University?

Abstract

This paper focuses on an interdisciplinary project using an innovative teaching methodology developed to generate substantive interaction between international students and mainstream students on American campuses. The process was created after asking international students from a variety of countries the question, “What is the biggest obstacle you have in learning English here at our university in America?” The response of these students was that despite their best efforts, they could not seem to connect with their American peers on campus. The international students found it difficult to interact with American students on anything other than a superficial conversational level; and as a result, they tended to feel invisible on campus. A project was designed to bring about greater interaction and cultural awareness by bringing international students together with native speakers in stimulating and authentic conversations. The project was a success for both mainstream American students and international students by creating a space of equal status between the two student groups; this lowered the social, cultural, and linguistic barriers that were normally present. This paper shows how this was done.