With the growing number of incoming Chinese international students on campus in the past five years, language barrier stands as a major challenge. 300 out of 1700 undergraduate international students at Stony Brook University are from Chinese speaking country according to the International admission office, language barrier is the first challenge for them when they step on campus.
Mariana Catalano, a 10 years coordinator of the undergraduate English as Second Language Program (ESL) at Stony Brook, explained during her term, she has designed and developed the writing placement for all non-native speakers of English and established three different levels of ESL courses for students. But she believes there should be an international students …show more content…
They do want to be friends, but there are just certain things they don 't get it, like culture, and slangs. It’s the way we grow up in. It’s hard to just fit in right away.” San KoKo Htet, third year in Stony Brook University and the current executive member of International Student Organization at Stony Brook.
While the university is still working on improving its language program for these international students, many student organization gone above in helping them adjusting to the new environment. The International Student Organization at Stony Brook runs “English Pal” program semesterly where they pair up an international student with a native speaker so they can have cultural, and language exchanges to enhance their college experience KoKo explains. “This year we have around 300 people who signed up within there are more natives than international students.”
However, majority of the international student participants are not freshman 's but juniors’ showing how it can take a while for these international students to gain the confidence and come out Koko added.
“Many of us are usually worried what if people can’t understand what we are saying. We don’t want to be a joke.” Lucy
Mariana Catalano, a 10 years coordinator of the undergraduate English as Second Language Program (ESL) at Stony Brook, explained during her term, she has designed and developed the writing placement for all non-native speakers of English and established three different levels of ESL courses for students. But she believes there should be an international students …show more content…
They do want to be friends, but there are just certain things they don 't get it, like culture, and slangs. It’s the way we grow up in. It’s hard to just fit in right away.” San KoKo Htet, third year in Stony Brook University and the current executive member of International Student Organization at Stony Brook.
While the university is still working on improving its language program for these international students, many student organization gone above in helping them adjusting to the new environment. The International Student Organization at Stony Brook runs “English Pal” program semesterly where they pair up an international student with a native speaker so they can have cultural, and language exchanges to enhance their college experience KoKo explains. “This year we have around 300 people who signed up within there are more natives than international students.”
However, majority of the international student participants are not freshman 's but juniors’ showing how it can take a while for these international students to gain the confidence and come out Koko added.
“Many of us are usually worried what if people can’t understand what we are saying. We don’t want to be a joke.” Lucy