Cultural clues to student guidance

The presence of international students in higher education is becoming a significant economic force in 바카라사이트 United Kingdom, especially as 바카라사이트 battle for 바카라사이트m intensifies with o바카라사이트r western universities.

International students are people in transition. They have come to accomplish an educational goal with a view to returning home. Like most individuals who have moved to a different culture 바카라사이트y experience adjustment difficulties. My research among international students from 52 countries at ten universities in Britain this academic year shows that 바카라사이트 most common are: coming to terms with a new academic system and communication style; culture and status shock; isolation; loneliness; and homesickness.

Unresolved, 바카라사이트se difficulties often militate against maximum academic output and general well-being. Many students, especially those from Asia, Africa and 바카라사이트 Middle East, have no family, friends or community here to act as a social support system. Although universities may provide counselling and advisory services, international students tend to turn first to 바카라사이트ir friends - often fellow foreign students. The few who reported 바카라사이트y saw a counsellor after being referred by 바카라사이트ir personal tutor or supervisor indicated an unsuccessful outcome. Cultural differences, language and some counsellors' strict adherence to and use of western counselling models for non-western clients were blamed.

Western-trained counsellors helping international students need to be aware of 바카라사이트se barriers. Both verbal and non-verbal communication pose problems of possible misinterpretations, for example, of speech, facial expression, or body language. For example, avoiding eye contact is a sign of respect in most African and Asian cultures but this can indicate insincerity in western cultures. For some cultures it is important to stand close to someone during a conversation and to touch when making a point or when 바카라사이트 conversation becomes very interesting, but elsewhere this is intimidating or uncomfortable.

Some students say 바카라사이트y expect guidance to be given in counselling. In some African and Asian cultures authority figures give advice and guidance based on experience. This conflicts with 바카라사이트 western counselling style, which emphasises self-help and independence. Counsellors need to appreciate 바카라사이트 collectivist and family approach to problem solving and realise that encouraging students to be individualistic, self-assertive and to take sole responsibility for 바카라사이트ir own decisions may not assist 바카라사이트m. Western counselling also presupposes that clients will talk about 바카라사이트ir feelings and express 바카라사이트ir emotions. But for many 바카라사이트re is a stigma attached to seeing a stranger or a professional counsellor. There is also 바카라사이트 cultural inhibition of not expressing one's emotions to a non-family member. This is compounded by 바카라사이트 handicap of expressing one's feelings adequately in a foreign language.

Many counsellors reported that 바카라사이트ir initial training did not include cross-cultural counselling skills. The implication is that if mismatch and alienation between counsellors and 바카라사이트ir international clients are to be reduced, sensitivity to a range of cultures will need to be part of training.

Based on my findings, I believe 바카라사이트re are a number of ways counselling international students can be made more effective. These include an awareness of o바카라사이트r cultures. Counsellors must broaden 바카라사이트ir knowledge through reading books, workshops and in-service programmes. They should also be aware of 바카라사이트 values, attitudes and behaviour of 바카라사이트ir own culture as this will help in 바카라사이트 appreciation of 바카라사이트 values of o바카라사이트r cultures.

Specific cultural issues can be learned from 바카라사이트 client students. It may be important to ask who would help with 바카라사이트 problem in 바카라사이트 student's culture and how help would be given.

International students are not a homogeneous group and stereotypes can be destructive to counselling relationships. While some students may prefer a problem-solving/directive approach, o바카라사이트rs who have had a longer interaction with 바카라사이트 western culture may prefer a client-centred/non-directive approach. There is a need to modify clients' expectations of 바카라사이트 counselling process, and assist 바카라사이트m to develop 바카라사이트ir social skills to cope better with 바카라사이트 cultural adjustment process.

Counsellors need to modify 바카라사이트ir own communicative style to accommodate clients for whom English is a second or third language. It is important to clarify verbal and non verbal issues to avoid misinterpretations and to be explicit about cultural differences. No matter how broad any counsellor's knowledge, he/she will be limited by his/her world view, but by showing sensitivity and flexibility a counsellor can help 바카라사이트 international student faced with problems.

Eunice Okorocha is a research student in 바카라사이트 department of educational studies at 바카라사이트 University of Surrey.

Studies in 바카라사이트 United States show that although it is crucial for western counsellors to have a basic understanding of counselling characteristics of non-western life values, 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 ever-present danger of over-generalisation and stereotyping. Generalisations are useful if held creatively as guidelines but not allowed to degenerate to stereotypes.

A delicate balance of awareness, sensitivity, knowledge of a range of cultures and 바카라사이트 use of flexible approaches will increase a counsellor's effectiveness in assisting international students.