Exploration of the best way of studying

Nowadays every teacher, every student, every professor , just everybody use his own way of studying process. Some of them prefer when students work in groups, some prefer individual work of students. 

First of all it should be taken into consideration that people have really different speed and ways of perception, processing, storing, reproduction and if for one person work in a team is a good way of study, it can be the worst way for another one. 
Let's consider some advantages and disadvantages of these types of studying.


Pros of working in a team: 
- there is an exchange of knowledge, ideas and ways of thinking with each other in group 
- the process of working in a group is based on exchange of opinions and on estimation
- A team working contributes to interaction among students 
- every student can judge himself and his problems from different points of view
- development of analytical thinking 
- students can overcome the language barrier 

Pros of individual work: 
- aspiration and ability to think independently 
- ability to orientate in any new situation and to adopt to a particular situations
- students who work on their own can find their own approach to solving any tasks
- having many ways of extraction of knowledge 

Cons of a team working: 
- due to the big amount of people in the group , student May be 
- students may have different abilities for learning , working and communicating , that is why not all of them can work together 
- students can have different level of knowledge and it will be worse for everybody 
- strict schedule of classes may be also as a problem for students
- when students do one project , some of them can do less than others and it will be unfair for students worked well

Cons of individual work : 
-when student works on his own, he does not have possibility to have a conversation about studying with somebody 
- - individuals wont develop communicative skills such as: compromise, discussions, proving your own point of view
-sometimes it is very useful to compare in order to motivate people to work better and harder
-group spirit and finding common language are also crucial for individuals, while working alone can not provide this opportunity


In conclusion, we can say that the base of the best way of studying is inside of this quote: "Tell me, and I will forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand."Confucius.
In other words, every student should decide what will be better the best way of studying for him only and choose that works for him

‘’Stop smiling and start talking’’

How can you tell a teacher is good or bad in teaching? Does he or she has to be extremely smart, friendly or is it important to be strict? When looking at previous research it can be concluded that communication is the key ingredient for effective teaching. 
There are 4 main types of communication that are associated with effective learning: 

• nonverbal expressiveness, 

• relaxed movement,  

• in-class conversation 

• out-of-class communication. 

Examples of nonverbal expressiveness are gesturing and behaviors like smiling.Relaxed movements include things as having a relaxed posture and moving around in the class. In-class conversation ofcourse means that students are able to talk to their teacher and out-of-class communication shows how accessible teachers are outside the classroom. The research showed that students from different countries all think a professor is better in teaching when he or she uses the 4 types of communication, even though the countries vary by different values and expectations.

Ofcourse, there all some small differences in the amount they think like this. Asian students judge their teachers the least at the nonverbal expressiveness component, followed by the Swedish students. A reason for this can be that Northern European people are in general less expressive and contact oriented. Swedish students do not really value if teachers use forms of nonverbal communication in class, like gesturing and smiling. More important however are the verbal forms of communication a teacher uses in class. According to Swedish students, this tells more about the ability of the teacher. So what kind of advice should we give Swedish teachers? Stop smiling and start talking!


Georgakopoulos, A., & Guerrero, L. K. (2010). Student perceptions of teachers’ nonverbal and verbal communication: A comparison of best and worst professors across six cultures. International Education Studies, 3(2), P3.

The benefits of intercultural communication through literature: The contact of exchange students with foreign authors.

One of the main aspects of higher education is the production and studying of academic literature. That's not different for exchange students and their case could use special attention.. Since exchange students find themselves abroad, their contact with various aspects of foreign culture is constant. Between these aspects we can consider local literature as a highly significant one. Through local literature the exchange students can be in contact with the culture they're inserted in and learn about its history. In the context of an exchange course the use of local literature can be a means of learning specific aspects of a foreign culture and in this aspect it promotes intercultural communication. The immmersion caused by such a contact may lead the student to learn about issues which are particularly special inside the country, in Sweden's case for example, issues like: gender roles now and in the past; national cinema development; wellfare-state; late political progresses; art history. Besides helping the exchange student understand all these questions as academic matters it also allows them to adapt to the culture he's in. Another very probable benefit of the contact with foreign literature is the learning of a new language. Some courses may use simple introductory texts in the host country's language for exchange students to develop their understanding of the new language; obviously this side of the contact with literature will also help the student to adapt and understand the country's culture.

Educational system's differences between Kazakhstan and Sweden

In today's modern world , every university and every teacher has his own approach to the best way of studying.

 
In the first place, I want to compare two countries, Sweden and Kazakhstan, my home country, in educational system. It is popularly believed that in Sweden people focus on team working, rather than on individual work and due to such way of the studying, they try to find a common topic and to cooperate with each other. While in Kazakhstan people usually work on their own. 
Apart from that, in comparison with Kazakhstan there are not so big amount of lectures with teacher. 
In Sweden students get the list of references and they know that they should read it usually during 1-2 months because almost every course lasts month or two. In the end of the course students pass writing examination;there are no oral examinations. In the case, if course is extensive, the teachers add other forms of examinations like laboratory work, case and etc. 

If we look at Kazakhstan, we usually mix oral and writing examinations. There are 3 examinations in one semester, two of them are midterms and the last one is the final examination. All of examinations take place in one period of time. 
In Sweden courses go one by one while in Kazakhstan all courses go at the same time and have similar duration. 

To sum up all the information, I want to concentrate on the topic " team working and working individually". 

BE VERY AWARE

What lecturers can do to encourage international students to participate more in seminars?

After discussing some of the challenges international students who are not as proficient in the English language face in the classroom environment, is there anything lecturers and universities can do to help them? Undeniably, it is a challenging feat for university professors to juggle different languages, cultures, learning styles and academic interests from teaching a culturally diverse seminar group. However, there are small steps that can be taken to help integrate international students and encourage them to contribute more in class discussions and the first step is through AWARENESS.

It is important that lecturers are constantly aware of the difficulties that some international students may face with expressing themselves in the English language[1] as well as the different cultural perspectives of students. Through this awareness, lecturers will be able to make a more conscious effort to integrate international students and better manage the complexity of a culturally diverse classroom. Additionally, lecturers should look up what students know, speak and experience to better understand the seminar group so that the lessons would be inclusive for both native and foreign students[2].

Moreover, research has shown that students who are not as proficient in English were afraid of appearing foolish by making mistakes such as simple grammatical errors or incorrect pronunciation. Thus this lack of confidence and fear of judgement from peers acts as a barrier to communicating and participating in class. Perhaps this can be overcomed by building up a more comfortable and accepting learning environment in the classroom. Easier said than done but in our opinion, to bridge the communication gap in the multicultural classroom, lecturers, international students and native students all have a part to play.

---

[1] Medved, D., Franco, A., Gao, X., & Yang, F. (2013). Challenges in teaching international students:?group separation, language barriers and culture differences. Retrieved from http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFile&recordOId=4215983&fileOId=4216001

[2] Bista, K. (2011). Implications of Silence for Educators in the Multicultural Classroom. Retrieved from:http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/learning-styles/implications-of-silence-for-educators-in-the-multicultural-classroom/

Culture Clash: Compromise and Consensus in Group Interactions

As stated in the article “Pratar du engelska?” also featured on lundintcomm.blogspot.se, English language proficiency plays a strong role in group communications in higher education—particularly in Sweden because of its large number of international students and programs taught in English. Another barrier to effective and efficient group interactions is the variety of interacting cultures. The University group setting creates a particular cultural context in which interactions will take place. Depending on which culture is most represented in the group, other less represented cultures might find themselves less influential in the decisions made by the group.

Another similar issue involves which cultural group will be most outspoken and likely to participate in group situations. Regardless of the dominant represented culture, most group settings take on a democratic approach to ensure all participants are heard and represented in the group’s decisions and work, but beyond this there are inherent cultural differences that limit the effectiveness of the group’s democratic decision making. One such cultural difference is collectivism vs. individualism. Using “Hofstede’s scale of individualism collectivism” we can see stark differences between Hong Kong’s culture, which is rated 25 and is “categorized as a collectivist culture where group orientation cultural norm is dominated, and people act in the interests of the group and not necessarily in the interests of themselves” and Swedish culture which, rated at 71 on the scale, has “a high preference for a loosely-knit social framework” where it is expected that individuals will care for themselves (Du-Babcock, 2013, p.105).

                       

A study conducted by Du-Babcock recorded the turns taken, seconds of speaking time and average words used in a series of group meetings. The study contrasted the circumstances often found in Swedish and Hong Kong group meetings and found that the Swedish group took 5 times as many turns to speak, spent twice as much time and spoke twice as many words in the group meetings than their Hong Kong counterparts (Table 2, p.113). These findings are significant and illustrate a real issue present in intercultural communications in the group setting. Furthermore, Du-Babcock found that the leadership of the meeting’s proceedings varied between the two cultures, with the Swedish group allowing for free-flowing turns with little turn management whereas the Hong Kong group had a structured system of turn taking (p.126). Knowledge of these varying approaches to meetings in intercultural circumstances should facilitate better group communication and allow for an alternative, compromising and pragmatic approach to be taken regarding group management and interactions.

______________________________________________________

Du-Babcock, Bertha. (2013). English as Business Lingua Franca: A comparative analysis of communication behavior and strategies in Asian and European contexts. Iberica Vol. 26, 99-130. 

Why chose Sweden to have an international exchange? 

    Every year more than 15.300 international student chose Swedish universities to experience one semester or more in this nordic country. It’s quite a lot if we compare to other nordic country. As international student we chose Sweden for the quality of life, the safety, the rank of Lund University, the schoolteaching or also for his great student life. Indeed, decide to study in Swedish universities are great approach to discover a new culture from our own and to be blend in typical scandinavian society. 

     We can ask to everyone who did it: exchange could be one of the most enriching experiences in life. It’s also a meaning to learn in a different way. In fact, Swedish teaching is different from the rest of the world. This proximity form the teacher to the students impressed every students at the first sight. Have an exchange in Sweden is good to enhance our resume. Compagnies appreciate their clarity, precision and they way to resolve problems. 

      Also, try the learn Swedish can be valuable to explore. Interact with inhabitants is important in a country where you live even if it is not a common language all around the world but why not use it later in our professional futures occasions and impress swedish CO?! In addition, this experience abroad will be the way to differentiate yourself from others and make you more easily place on the labor market. At the time of globalization, an international career of more value to the recruiter. This experience shows that you are independent, open minded with a certain intellectual curiosity. Live outside of our country it is definitively to be duty of ingenuity and adaptation. 

       And you, are you happy with your choice to study in Sweden?!

‘’You lovely girls, I love you’’

•         Does this sound like something your friend would say after a drunk night out? It probably does, but in this case it’s not your friend. These are the words an American teacher used to speak to her class in Beijing. And it didn’t work out the way she expected: the students were terrified. A teacher talking to students like this? That would have never happened if the teacher had been Chinese instead of American. 

 This example shows that when students and teachers come from different cultures, problems can arise. One of the dimensions to which the differences between teacher and student interaction can be assigned is the individualism versus collectivism dimension. Sweden for example can be seen as an individualist society. This means that individual students speak up in large groups, conflicts can be brought in the open and acquiring competence is more important than acquiring certificates. In collectivist societies however, individuals will only speak up in small groups, conflicts won’t be brought up and acquiring certificates is more important than acquiring competence. 


Another way to understand the differences between teacher and student interaction is by looking at the masculinity versus femininity dimension. In femininine societies like Sweden, teachers avoid openly praising students and students admire friendliness in teachers. In masculine societies it is the other way around. Teachers openly praise good students and students admire brilliance in teachers. When both live in different societies cultural differences appear, which makes it harder for teachers and students to understand eachother and go along. What represents a ‘’message’’ in one culture, does not necessarily means the same in the other culture. Like "you lovely girls, I love you". 
Can we call this a friendly teacher? Or is it crossing the line? There’s not one right answer to that, but it will definitely differ when you cross the boarder.

Hofstede, G. (1986). Cultural differences in teaching and learning. International Journal of intercultural relations, 10(3), 301-320.

The 

Experience of 

International 

Students in 

Sweden








We have previously learned about the phases of and barriers agains culture adaptation, but what is the experience of international students studying in Sweden?


Sweden is a very popular country to visit for exchange. For example, in 2013, Lund University alone hosted 1,900 exchange students (Lund University, 2014).
Students studying in Sweden face the same barriers to culture adaptation, and follow through the same phases of culture adaptation as students in any other country. However, factors that are unique to Sweden, such as a high English fluency rate (90% at Lund University), which reduces the language barrier for many students, a beautiful environment, and many student life opportunities, make the experience of exchange students more favourable. According to Lund’s website, Lund University is the #1 choice of schools for international students (Lund University, 2014).

In an informal poll, taken within our group, the consensus was that the most challenging barrier to adapting to Swedish culture, as an international student, was the division between local Swedish students, and the international students. While there are many opportunities to meet other international students, interacting with local students happened far less frequently. Conversely, it was decided that the easiest factor to adapt to was the language, since English is so widely spoken and Sweden, and the Swedish people are so accommodating.

Every year the International Student Barometer conducts a survey of the experience of international students worldwide. While the results are mostly used as tool for universities to use to improve their international programs, and are not published online in their entirety, the results for Umeå University in Northern Sweden were made available online. A number of variables are tested. Here are some highlights:

-1st in Sweden, and 1st Worldwide in
-English of Support Staff
-Helpfulness of Support Staff
-Campus Environment

-Overall Satisfaction Rate
-1st in Sweden, 9th Worldwide

While the results were not specific, several Swedish universities fell into the top 20 for International Student Experience, out of 178 participating institutions (Umeå University, 2014)

Here is a video of students’ experience at Umeå University: http://www.umu.se/english/education/satisfied-students#prettyPhoto/0/

While this data is on Umeå University, and not Lund University, I can personally relate to the feedback provided. As an international student studying in Sweden myself, I can say that even though there certainly have been cultural differences to adjust to, the services for international students, such as an extensive orientation and mentoring program, and plenty of opportunities to learn Swedish, have made the transition much easier.

Works Cited

Lund University (2014, October 10). Why study at lund university?. Retrieved from 

http://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/admissions/why-study-at-lund-university


Umeå University (2014, April 3). Umeå ranked first in international student satisfaction. Retrieved fromhttp://www.umu.se/english/education/satisfied-students#prettyPhoto

The role of local students on the social interaction and academic development of exchange students

     For higher education students studying abroad cultural exchange can be one of the goals which they may set for themselves to accomplish. In an international experience like an exchange course the interaction of the foreign students with the native students may be an achievement as important as other more strictly academic ones. It might actually help the exchange student to adapt to the academic envirionment of the country he or she's in. In this same line of thought we can infer that there might be a certain role for the native student to play in the exchange students academic life. By sharing their experience and approximating the exchange students to their own academic envirionment, the local students may cause great benefit to the foreigner's overall social and academic development. I can describe some contribution swedish students provided me and other exchange students in a group work we had to develop. The swedish students helped us understand the evaluation of papers and exams and the course's requirements we had to focus more. They also gave us some tips of research material they had used in a previous course they had taken. 

       In the article “Challenges in teaching international students: group separation, language barriers and culture differences” the authors utilize data collected from a field research on the difficulties that exchange students have in their respective exchange courses. Amongst the factors they found to be influential was the receptivity of the local students:

• Cross-cultural orientation: Interest and openness in other cultures in local students is perceived as an important factor in friendship formation. Students that showed interests in traveling and Japanese culture were the most likely to form a cross-cultural friendship. Also, talking in class on common interests is perceived as important, as a student said, as reported in the article [8],

• Empathy: The capacity to understand an overseas student situation, far from its family and with language difficulties, was seen as crucial in building a long-lasting friendship; those students were more likely to establish relationships with local students that showed patience with their faltering English, and kindly wait for them to express what they think without interrupting. So, being patient in class with foreigner students seems a good practice. (Medved, Franco, Gao, Yang. 2013, p.5)”

Pratar du engelska?

      

English is the dominant lingua franca—the language used to communicate in groups without a shared mother tongue— used in increasingly internationalized sectors such as business and higher education. As Margie Berns illustrates in her article “English as lingua franca and English in Europe,” the “role [of English] has been expanding in part due to the internationalization of the student population in many universities, encouraged by European Union policies and by ever larger numbers of students from outside the EU attending universities in Netherlands, Germany, or Sweden, to name just three popular study destinations” (Berns, 2009, p.195).

Because of the increasing importance that English plays in interactions in these settings, having a strong knowledge of English or English language competency carries a prestige and thus acts as a social symbol of general competence in lingua franca interactions. It can be seen, perhaps mistakenly, that fluency in English in these group settings reflects a greater intelligence. This positions those with a greater English language competence favorably in group communications. As Berns noted, Sweden is a popular destination for students to study abroad in both exchange and master’s level programs. The 2011/12 statistics published by Universitets-Kranslersambetet show international admissions into Swedish Universities of some 6,500 new students (Swedish Higher Education Authority, 2013, p.24). The report’s newest statistics show that “the proportion of international new entrants was… 39 percent, the largest ever and two percentage points higher than in 2011” (p.36). Use of English as a lingua franca will undoubtedly increase as Swedish Universities expand their international programs, and thus fluency will increasingly become a symbol of status and competency in intercultural and international communications in the university setting. Additionally, English fluency will increasingly become an essential skill for many students.  

So, as a student in contemporary Sweden one must ask his or herself, “Pratar jag engelska?” One Swedish student in a Lund University international program stated that he felt more competent in the program overall than some other students because of his high-fluency in English. This is just one of the complications that students in International programs face in their group communications. See the video below for the full interview with a Lund University student.

• Berns, Margie. (2009). English as lingua franca and English in Europe. World englishes, Vol. 28(2), 192-199.
• Swedish Higher Education Authority. (2013). Higher education in sweden: 2013 status report. Stockholm:Universitetskanslersämbetet.

More Proficient, More Confident?

The impact of English proficiency and cultural upbringing on intercultural communication

In today’s globalized world, having a culturally diverse classroom is becoming a commonality, particularly in universities. Take Lund University in Sweden for example. Out of the 47,700 students they accept over a year, about 6,400 are international students, that’s about 14% of the student population[1]. Many studies have shown that there are many positive benefits that come with having cultural diversity in the classroom, one of which is a broadened learning experience[2]. With an increasing number of students from different cultures who speak a different first language making an appearance in our university classrooms, how does this affect communication and participation in class discussions?

Given the varying exposure to English in different cultures, there is no doubt that there is a varying standard of English among international students. This variance in English proficiency can affect a student’s confidence to participate in class discussions. According to some research conducted in 2013, a good command of the English language can help to reduce anxiety when interacting in class conversations, boost confidence to speak up and allows easier and more fluent communication of ideas and opinions which can improve the quality of discussions.

Furthermore, language difficulties that most international students face can make intercultural friendship formation and group work more challenging. This is because students who are not as proficient in English feel uncomfortable and may find it difficult to fully express themselves in the language. Therefore, for fear of miscommunication and misunderstandings, students poor in the language tend to speak up and participate less in class discussions.

Another factor that has an impact on the participation of international students in university is their cultural upbringing. In some cultures, for example in Asia, Asian students are typically trained not to question, disagree or speak in class. Therefore, when exposed to Western style of classroom learning, Asian students are seen as passive and unresponsive in class participation because they are not used to sharing their views and questions in the classroom setting. According to a paper written by Sifianou, Asian people view silence as a norm and speaking is only desirable if something needs to be conveyed. On the other hand, English-speaking people view speaking as a means to show interest and social interaction[3]. These differences thus have a stark impact on intercultural communication in the university setting as some students tend to speak out more than others.

Overall, the lack of confidence due to a poor command of the English language and the difference in cultural upbringing dampens the positive benefits of having a culturally diverse classroom. We feel that something should be done to resolve this, don’t you? Let us know what you think can be done to overcome this difficulty.

[1] http://www.universitas21.com/member/details/19/lund-university

[2] http://www.greatschools.org/find-a-school/defining-your-ideal/284-cultural-diversity-at-school.gs

[3] http://www.irma-international.org/viewtitle/33025/

Erasmus’s case

• After 27 years since its creation, it is time now to draw some answers about the European Union. A project led by some independents experts (directed by CHE Consult) has shown the effects of the Erasmus program are very significant. Indeed, in a context where the unemployment rate for young adults in Europe is high, Erasmus outcomes are positives for the professional future. The message is clear: a student who has participated in an Erasmus experience has a greater chance to acquire a job and greater opportunities of working quicker. 

•  Many Europeans students go studying across Europe and the whole planet thanks to the Erasmus Program. It's definitively becoming a societal phenomenon. It is also inspirational, at the point that some films are inspired from this positive experience such as L'auberge Espagnol, a french movie. 
  
  

• According to Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, the Erasmus program allows students to increase their employability and career prospects. It also contributes to the "sense of belonging to the European family. » 

• She said that Europe will grant 4 millions scholarships thanks to the new program « Erasmus+ » between 2014 and 2020. 

• More than 85% of Erasmus student study abroad to improve their capacity to be employ in a foreign country in their future.

press release from : http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-1025_fr.htm, 22/09/2014

Challenges faced by International Students when Adapting to New Culture

• As an international or exchange student, adjusting to a new home and culture can be a very challenging experience. Students are faced with setbacks such as homesickness and culture shock. According to a study in Illinois, reasons for Culture Adoption Challenges can include change, loss (of family, friends, social position in home culture, etc.), value differences, expectations for the international experience, social skills, and host country receptivity. The same study outlines the four stages of culture adoption:

-Honeymoon Stage: Everything seems new and exciting; Individuals are energetic and enthusiastic

-Culture Shock Stage: Individuals become very aware of the differences and conflicts between their visiting country and home country. Individuals feel confusion, anxiety, homesickness, and/or anger

-Recovery Stage: Stress from Stage 2 is resolved. Individual develops a better understanding of the new culture. Individual feels a mixture of the feelings from Stage 1 and Stage 2

-Adaptation Stage: Individual comes to accept and appreciate the differences and similarities between cultures (University of Illinois Counselling Centre, 2007)

• Another study focused on individual factors that had an impact on culture adaption. The results stated that for individuals going on an exchange or for international studies alone, the main factor that impacted their ability to adjust to the new culture was personality type. With traits such as extroversion, openness, and contentiousness being related to greater acquisition of new cultural identity and cultural knowledge. For individuals going on an exchange or for international studies in a group, the main factor that impacted their ability to adjust to the new culture was adherence to home cultural norms and values (Jang & Kim, 2010)

• A third article outline strategies that host universities can take to assist their international and exchange in adapting to their new culture and surroundings:

-Provide learning opportunities in tutorials and laboratory sessions that enable international students to work collaboratively with local students. Structure learning groups so that they can change during the semester so students meet a range of different students

-Provide opportunities in class for students to share their culture

-Provide access to information on social opportunities available within the educational institution, including peer mentoring

-Provide access to locality based information about sporting and special interest groups

-Implement a “buddy system” where each new international student is supported by a more senior local student 

(Smith, Nayda & Rankin, 2011)

Works Cited:

• Jang, D., & Kim, D. (2010). The influence of host cultures on the role of personality in the acculturation of exchange students. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 34(4), 363-367.

• Smith, M., Nayda, R., & Rankin, E. (2011). Assisting international students’ adjustment to a new culture. Nurse Educator, 36(3), 93-95.

• University of Illinois Counselling Centre (2007). Cross cultural journey for international students. Retrieved from http://www.counselingcenter.illinois.edu/self-help-brochures/diversity-and-cultural-differences/crosscultural-international-students/