American universities pair international students with language, culture mentors
Posted on 3/8/2010
Topics: Living in the U.S.
Since adjusting to American customs and lifestyle may be challenging to some international students, many universities have mentors that can help them ease the transition.
These mentors are usually fellow undergraduate students with international experience acquired through travelling abroad or through foreign language study. They are paired up with arriving international students to help them orient themselves around the campus and navigate the cultural differences they may encounter.
Practicing English is also an important aspect of this collaboration, and is especially beneficial for students who have never lived in America before and may not feel comfortable speaking English.
"[Such programs help] students to get acculturated, to have an English speaker help them with adjusting and asking day-to-day questions," said Jane Etish-Andrews, director of the International Center at Tufts University, quoted by TuftsDaily.com.
"We try to pair them with someone that has similar interests, and we have had very good pairs that have become very good friends," added Barbara Bravo Flores, student and program coordinator of the Intercultural Conversation Program at the school.
Recent statistics suggests that the enrollment of international students increased by 7.7 percent during the 2008-2009 academic year, and constituted 3.7 percent of the total student population.
These mentors are usually fellow undergraduate students with international experience acquired through travelling abroad or through foreign language study. They are paired up with arriving international students to help them orient themselves around the campus and navigate the cultural differences they may encounter.
Practicing English is also an important aspect of this collaboration, and is especially beneficial for students who have never lived in America before and may not feel comfortable speaking English.
"[Such programs help] students to get acculturated, to have an English speaker help them with adjusting and asking day-to-day questions," said Jane Etish-Andrews, director of the International Center at Tufts University, quoted by TuftsDaily.com.
"We try to pair them with someone that has similar interests, and we have had very good pairs that have become very good friends," added Barbara Bravo Flores, student and program coordinator of the Intercultural Conversation Program at the school.
Recent statistics suggests that the enrollment of international students increased by 7.7 percent during the 2008-2009 academic year, and constituted 3.7 percent of the total student population.
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