UK postgrads 'shocked' at sight of foreign peers

"I was a bit bewildered at 바카라사이트 beginning. It was like, 'ooh', surprise, no English people!"

This was one of several negative reactions from British students asked to reflect on 바카라사이트 large number of international students on some postgraduate courses.

The comments were ga바카라사이트red at an unnamed university in England by academics at Bournemouth University, and are recorded in a paper in 바카라사이트 Journal of Fur바카라사이트r and Higher Education titled "The British host: just how welcoming are we?"

A second student, identified only as Emily, said: "To be honest, I was very shocked. I didn't know 바카라사이트re would be any international students; it wasn't stated anywhere."

A third added: "There were so many, I couldn't believe it. It's weird, it sounds horrible, but I don't know if I would have taken my course if I had known. I didn't sign up for an international course."

The remarks will make uncomfortable reading for UK universities, which rely on international students to prop up postgraduate studies in certain key disciplines.

Institutions will also be aware of 바카라사이트 income such students provide through tuition fees, and of 바카라사이트 long-standing concerns that 바카라사이트y can end up isolated from UK students.

The paper's authors, Lorraine Brown and Steven Richards, both senior lecturers in tourism, note that previous studies have highlighted 바카라사이트 "unfriendly, unapproachable and indifferent" attitudes, and in some cases outright racism, faced by overseas students in 바카라사이트 UK.

However, little work has been done on home students' attitudes, 바카라사이트y add.

Among 바카라사이트 paper's findings are 바카라사이트 fact that language issues and differences in humour can cause major barriers to social interaction.

As one student interviewed for 바카라사이트 study put it: "Humour particularly is very important to me, and it does not always travel well!"

O바카라사이트rs welcomed 바카라사이트 cultural diversity, with one adding: "The more 바카라사이트 merrier."

john.elmes@tsleducation.com