There was much analysis of the trends and topics in student mobility at the conference of the European Association of International Education I just attended in Antwerp. Europe is rapidly adopting English-language instruction in order to internationalize their campuses and to graduate globally marketable job candidates. The result is a greater number of international students and several research projects.
Researchers from I-Graduate in London conducted “the world’s largest ongoing study of international students” and presented their data on how students “differ less by nationality and more by personal expectations and aspirations”. Researchers Archer and Bush named the following “tribes”, characterized by motivation, behavior, influence and ambition.
15% are Surfers looking for fun and a life experience. They are risk-takers ready to try the new culture without committing to it.
Let’s play games and watch videos. I want to meet Americans.
22% are Seekers studying for a better job. They are under strong parental influence and feel a great obligation to their families’ futures.
Can we have more homework?
22% are Gekkos focusing on money, status, and recognition. They are demanding, hard to please, and may not share their parents’ values or follow their advice.
How is this lesson going to be useful to my future? Don’t waste my time.
27% are Bonos working for the greater good and a work/life balance. They are optimistic; they want to make a difference and value recognition over money.
How can I join a club on campus?
14% are Kids exuding unfocused enthusiasm and little maturity. They are generally, but not always, younger and may not be ready to make mature decisions. They haven’t decided what they want to do and are under parental influence.
Can I borrow a pen and paper? Oh, yeah, I forgot to bring my textbook, too.
Personally, I still believe that culturally based communication styles have a great bearing on our students’ classroom behavior, but I’ll have to admit we see each of these stereotypes in SAL classes. Although the names serve to summarize the types, they seem a bit disrespectful to me. I’d say we are already addressing the different demands and learning styles of each group at SAL, but it’s interesting to consider these survey results.
