Abstract
The present project responds to the call for internationalization at the programme, faculty and university level by addressing the second objective of the guidance note – “activities that facilitate the internationalization of curriculum (IoC)”. In an effort to equip our students in the BA (English Studies) & BEd (English Language Education) Co-terminal Double Degree Programme (henceforth: ELED students) (i.e. pre-service English teachers) with a more international vision and updated knowledge of English language use and education globally, we intend to work with the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) to capitalize on the international student body who can share their experiences and knowledge with our students and teaching staff. Through exchange, both international students, local students and teachers are benefitted, realizing a key spirit of Internationalization at Home (IaH). The input from the international students will enable teaching staff to revisit course- and programme-level curricula in the light of IoC. The event, if run smoothly, will become part of a regular programme activity and the materials generated (see below) can be incorporated in various courses. As an initiative, we intend to run two one-day events in Spring 2021 and Spring 2022. 10-20 international students from different continents will be recruited. They will share the English language education system and how English is used in their countries. Local ELED students will also do similar sharing. The one-day event will commence with these sharing sessions, akin to an informative symposium, followed by a large lunch gathering. In the afternoon, OSA and our programme will hold a number of activities to promote intercultural exchange so that both international and home students can learn from each other via authentic interaction. The afternoon session will also function as a compulsory pre-immersion event for third-year ELED students, with sharing experiences providing the basis for a goal-setting written reflection before they participate in an 8-week overseas immersion experience. In the long run, this event does not incur any cost. It is hoped to be a simple and sustainable exemplar for other programmes.
Brief write-up
Project objectives
The objective of this project was to work with the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) to make use of the international student body and exploit their knowledge of English language education in global contexts to the benefit of students in the BA (English studies) and BEd (English language Education) programme (ELED students). To achieve this, we aimed to create a one-day event which would facilitate an exchange between ELED and international students on the topic of English language education in international contexts.
Activities, process and outcomes
The activities for the one-day event were organized and led by five local student ambassadors (Hong Kong) and eight international students (Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Egypt) and included interactive talks and demonstrations on the topic of English language education in international contexts. Preparation for the event took place in Spring 2021 and the event was held on 2 October 2021.
Deliverables and evaluation
The event was attended by 69 Year 1-5 ELED students and 13 guests. ELED students and faculty evaluated the event by completing a post-event questionnaire. Attending faculty evaluated the event to be highly beneficial for students. Questionnaire responses from students indicated a gain in knowledge and a positive change in attitudes as a result of the event. Students also reported a range of learning outcomes, including factual information related to teaching methods, testing methods, and school culture in international contexts, as well as deeper reflections in which they challenged their existing beliefs about teaching English.
Dissemination, diffusion, impact and sharing of good practices
Findings were presented at a faculty workshop organized by the Centre for Learning Enhancement And Research (CLEAR) and at an international conference on English Language Teaching. A summary of the project was also posted to the CLEAR website, the ELED website, and an article of the project was featured in CUHK UDATES News. A paper based on the project was written and submitted to an academic journal. Materials used during the event were compiled and shared with ELED students and ELED instructors and are available to all CUHK faculty upon request.
Impact on teaching and learning
This project has directly benefit students who are studying English language education. It has helped them develop a more comprehensive view on educational issues in the global contexts. The event also can serve as a model for other programmes that seek to capitalize on international students to raise awareness of discipline-specific cross-cultural issues.
