Literature Review

 Literature Review: the Challenges That International Students Face

With the developing economy, people desire to pursue advanced education to the highest standards. Therefore, the number of international students has increased continuously in recent years. International students want to gain professional skill and knowledge in many challenging fields; in doing so, they often meet numerous difficulties and problems. Although every student tries to overcome these difficulties and problems, they cannot resolve all of these and have a difficult time studying abroad. These experience may help them to become independence because most Chinese parents may spoil their children, so children often rely on parents to finish some works.

According to recent articles, the research shows that most international students have language barriers and culture shock. They frequently do not want to talk with foreign students and native speakers unless they need to solve some problem or finish group projects. They are afraid to express themselves because they cannot speak English fluently and cannot understand all the meaning of the words (Huang, 2012).

In addition, they also face a variety of culture shocks. For example, they need to finish a quantity of reading tasks and write many essays and articles with the second language. In daily life, international students need to manage every activity by themselves, yet it is difficult to ask for help. Because they do not understand American culture, the parents of international students cannot provide useful information and advice. Moreover, these students often need to learn cooking, repairing and washing to maintain their daily lives, as they no longer have family members to help them.

In the literature related to this topic, there are two theoretical frameworks, J.W.  Berry’s acculturation framework (Chen & Bennett, 2012) and actor-network theory (ANT) (Habib, Johannesen & Ogrim, 2013). The acculturation framework concentrates on intercultural contact, “encompassing a range of acculturating groups including immigrants, refugees, native peoples, ethnic groups and sojourners” (Chen & Bennett, 2012). ANT studies the relationships between the various elements which are fast-changing and do not easily lend themselves to clear categorization (Habib, Johannesen & Ogrim, 2013). ANT tries to explain some complicated and extremely complex scenarios. On the contrary, acculturation theory focuses on the specific fields and points related to adjusting to a new culture (Chen & Bennett, 2012).

People usually have strong faith in their heritage culture. Even though they begin to learn in a foreign country, they still try to use this heritage culture to explore a new lifestyle and learn to adapt it to the foreign countries; however, people often suffer from many difficulties when the familiar surrounding condition changes (Chen & Bennett, 2012). Because the heritage custom is completely different from the host country’s custom, people often face culture shock. Poor language skills only compound this problem.

As mentioned recent research has found that most international students have living problems and learning problems when they pursue a degree in foreign counties. Because they cannot express their ideas and opinions perfectly, they sometimes avoid direct contact with native students. International students express fear that they may accidentally offend others because they do not understand the native culture totally, and the native speakers may laugh at them when they have some appropriate behaviors or words (Huang, 2012). However, refusing to talk with American students may influence the international students’ ability to improve foreign language. In addition, it is difficult to build the friendship with native students (Gram, Jaeger, Liu, Li & Wu, 2013; Ryan & Viete, 2009). Furthermore, international students may feel lonely and miserable, when they are suddenly separated from beloved family and friends and familiar surroundings. The initial stage may become the hardest, loneliest, and most miserable period for international students (Liu, 2003).

Because of the different education theory, international students have to overcome the effects of the learning shock. In American universities, professors often order students to read a quantity of books and articles in order to enhance understanding about the professional fields (Chen & Bennett, 2012). Professors hope students may obtain and understand more information to increase the depth about the major class. These reading tasks are very difficult to finish even for native speakers. Moreover international students still have a language barrier. Compared with native students, they need to spend twice as much time to read all the assigned material. In the Chinese curriculum model, the teacher will focus on content knowledge; students often take various tests and do written homework. Teachers want to students have a broader understanding (Chen & Bennett, 2012). Meanwhile, Chinese teachers often moved class at a fast pace, so they could cover all the content included in the curriculum. To maintain this fast space, teachers will not allow students ask many question in the class, no matter how brilliant these questions are. Teachers do not have time to order students to research a project and write an essay. Students only need to memorize the points of knowledge that teachers teach (Chen & Bennett, 2012). These different teaching methods may confuse students because they cannot use the original learning method to adapt to the Western teaching model.

Studies show that the educator should help international students to reduce the language barriers because it may be an effective method to improve students’ confidence (Treloar, et al., 2000). International students will perform more successfully when they participate college courses and other school activities. However, teachers also need to notice the racial discrimination or other bias because these negative factors can reduce the effect of teachers’ help. Otherwise, in the progress of helping, if teachers can provide more supports, such as conversational and written English class, students may progress more quickly.

International students need to become profession not only in the studying aspect but also in the living aspect. In foreign countries, international students have to manage daily life by themselves. Most international students express that they learn many cooking skills when they go abroad (Huang, 2012). To remember the taste of home, they struggle to cook the familiar and favorite mothers’ secret receipt. When international students feel homesick, some try to use food to experience feeling of home because familiar food has the power to console the spirit. On the contrary, these international students almost never cook at home before going abroad. Many students begin to learn cooking when they are separated from family. In addition, international students also need to handle repair problems (Huang, 2012). They have to repair some little parts by themselves because the repair fee is very expensive for international students and many international students cannot afford the fee. For example, the literature shows that some international students try to learn how to change the water tap or other plumbers’ techniques; some students try to change the parts of their own cars. After several years living abroad, many international students became more independent than before (Huang, 2012). Even though they return home, some students still maintain these habits. Those skills may become specialities and make them who have the learning experiences in foreign country outstanding (Huang, 2012).

In conclusion, the literature shows that international students have to face the language barriers, culture shock and other challenges. These challenges force international students to be independent and try to take responsibility. Many studies demonstrate that after suffering these experiences, they will become more professional in their major, and more skillful in their daily life. There still have some problems that people should be concerned with and more research needs to be done. International students need to adapt to the foreign environment, but the literature shows that international students need more help to overcome it, they need to know where they can ask for help. International students will suffer psychological and physicals problem, or whether or not the heritage learning method can help them to overcome the learning shock.

References

Chen, R., & Bennett, S. (2012). When Chinese learners meet constructivist pedagogy online. Higher Education, 64(5), 677-691. doi:10.1007/s10734-012-9520-9

Gram, M., Jæger, K., Liu, J., Qing, L., & Wu, X. (2013). Chinese students making sense of problem-based learning and Western teaching – pitfalls and coping strategies. Teaching In Higher Education, 18(7), 761-772. doi:10.1080/13562517.2013.836096

Habib, L., Johannesen, M., & Øgrim, L. (2014). Experiences and Challenges of International Students in Technology-Rich Learning Environments. Journal Of Educational Technology & Society, 17(2), 196-206.

Liu, L. (2002). I Cannot Get Used to the American Educational System. Chinese Studies In History, 36(2), 22.

Ryan, J., & Viete, R. (2009). Respectful interactions: learning with international students in the English-speaking academy. Teaching In Higher Education, 14(3), 303-314. doi:10.1080/13562510902898866

Treloar, C., McCall, N., Rolfe, I., Pearson, S., Garvey, G., Heathcote, A., & Treloar. (2000). Factors affecting progress of Australian and international students in a problem-based learning medical course. Medical Education, 34(9), 708-715. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2923.2000.00625.x

Ying, H. (2012). Transitioning Challenges Faced by Chinese Graduate Students. Adult Learning, 23(3), 138-147. doi:10.1177/1045159512452861

Book Review: Without Reservations: How a Family Root Beer Stand Grew into a Global Hotel Company

As a pioneer of the modern-day hospitality industry, executive chairman of Marriott International, Mr. J.W. Bill Marriott, shares his experience of leading and managing the company, in his book Without Reservations: How a Family Root Beer Stand Grew into a Global Hotel Company. This book provides a compilation of engaging stories and business lessons that reveal the secret for the company’s success, taking the reader behind the scenes for vital events and business decisions.

In the front of the book jacket, there is a picture of Mr. Marriott. He is dressed professionally with a black suit and a red tie. The smile on his face shows his hospitality and sincerity compared to his serious business appearance. He would possibly like to give the audience a clue that he is going to provide some ideas of how to do customer service in the book. In the back of the book jacket, some recommendations for the book are provided by several famous business leaders in order to attract readers.

Mr. Marriott had previously published one other book, The Spirit to Serve: Marriott’s Way, in 1997, and it was an earlier attempt to share his biography and business philosophy. “It’s been 16 years since I wrote a book, and I decided it was time to write down a few things I’ve learned about leadership and team building, and to help me grow as a businessman, too” (p 15).

Since the late 1920s, Marriott’s corporate culture has grown from a tiny A&W root beer stand, launched by Mr. Marriott’s parents, J. Willard and Alice Sheets Marriott. Although Mr. Marriott’s passion for hospitality stemmed from the restaurant business, he didn’t discover his true calling for the hotel business until the late 1950s, when the company built its first hotel, the Twin Bridges in Washington, D.C. “My dad had loved the restaurant business, but I loved hotels,” he writes, “Planning them. Building them. Seeing them fill up with people” (p 103). Under Mr. Marriott’s leadership, Marriott International has grown into an empire of more than 3,000 properties in more than 70 countries, with annual revenues exceeding $12 billion.

In order to deliver Mr. Marriott’s ideas and insights of the company success, the book is divided into five parts, sequencing with Marriott’s five core values: Put People First; Pursue Excellence; Embrace Change; Act with Integrity; and Serve our World. These five fundamental principles help Marriott International grow its market share and differentiate itself from its peers in a competitive global hotel marketplace.

In my favorite part “Serve our World” (pp 136-153) Mr. Marriott addresses his company’s strong spirit to serve and better the world, with illustrative examples such as launching several projects to protect natural resources, providing working opportunities to people with disabilities, and offering scholarships to universities.

The most impressive and enlightening part for me is the experience that Mr. Marriott shares about the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Due to the tragedy of September 11, 2001, the hospitality and tourism industry in the United States suffered a huge loss. Mr. Marriott responses to the crises with amazing business acumen. Since that time, Marriott’s focus has shifted to the international market. Thousands of Marriott hotels have sprung up around the world, especially in the hot markets like Brazil, Russia, India and China. Incredibly, another thing Marriott did was to provide outstanding and special service for international guests travelling to the United States, making them feel at home. For example, Marriott has a special welcome program for Chinese guests called “Serve with Courtesy”. Reservation confirmation letters or emails are sent to guests in Chinese. When the guests arrive, they are greeted by a Mandarin-speaking associate. Chinese newspaper and television are also available for the guests. These experiences deeply attract me to show the professionalism of a hospitality company in developing creative strategies while undergoing business difficulties. These strategies would also appeal to other hospitality and tourism students and professionals.

Without Reservations provides a large number of company stories and examples to explain how it gained its success; however, it seems that Mr. Marriott is not being transparent with the readers. In other words, when it comes to his business Mr. Marriott uses these failures only to provide examples of how the company successfully overcomes difficulties. From my point of view, Mr. Marriott goes too far in only showing his company’s strengths. 

In conclusion, this book presents an insightful and informative account of how to achieve success for a hospitality company. Mr. Marriott writes this book in a captivating manner that gives the readers a balanced combination of core values, current examples and business practices being employed by Marriott International. The book is beneficial not only for hospitality and tourism students and professionals, but for anyone in any business that wishes to achieve success.

Without Reservations: How a Family Root Beer Stand Grew into a Global Hotel Company

by J.W. "Bill" Marriott Jr.

Illustrated. 191 pp. Marriott International, Inc. $13.99.

Book Review

Book Review on What Great Teachers Do Differently:

17 Things That Matter Most

Todd Whitaker is a professor of educational leadership at Indian State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. He has written many books according to his own experience and many studies. One of them is What Great Teachers Do Differently 17 Things That Matter Most, a nonfiction book. This title can arouse people’s attention and interest in reading this book.

This book is the second edition and has added three new parts to the first edition. On the cover, the word “differently” is painted colorful, and the original number “14” is crossed out in red and changed to “17.” The main space of the cover includes a photo of butterflies; four dull colored little butterflies, and one colorful and huge butterfly. Butterfly means change, so four dull butterflies changed to a big and colorful butterfly which stands for the author’s to desire teachers and readers who can change education to an interesting and promising activity. This information reminds readers the main idea and some changes about this book. The author wants improve education in America, so the book provides 17 useful tips for educators.

The special dedication was written for his three children, after that is the introduction about author and acknowledgement of those who helped him. On the back cover and before the dedication, readers obtain more information about the author’s other books, which include 50 Ways to Improve Student Behavior, Dealing With Difficult Parents, What Great Principals Do Differently, and others.

In the table of contents, there are nineteen chapters to explain the author’s ideas. Readers can easily understand the organization of this book clearly. The first chapter introduces the background and explains why we need to learn tips from great teachers. The second to the eighteenth chapters explain the attitudes and actions of great teachers. The last chapter introduces the author’s own experience on how to be a great teacher, and enlightens readers and educators teaching methods. The framework of this book is very clear, brief, and easy to read.

With organized the framework, Whitaker also makes efforts to polish the words of this book. The author uses simple words to express his ideas. Therefore, international students can understand the whole meaning of this book. To explain the contents of this book, Whitaker adds many examples, so these examples also help readers to connect to the author’s meaning.

In chapter one, Whitaker asks which kind of teachers can be great teachers. If schools desire to improve their reputation and to cultivate excellent students, they should have several great teachers. Great teachers do not rely on dull, platitudes and clichés. Great teachers have faith which they develop and maintain. They are very sensitive and sharp to observe their students, and they often receive feedback from students’ behavior. The author provides an example of a teacher who has taught fifth grade thirty-eight years. Her secret is that she maintain her energy and enthusiasm. She may be getting older, but her students are new and fresh faces every year, she is quoted as saying. The question and example is very appropriate, which creates a good beginning, so readers will ask this question as they read this book. After reading this book, they may have a clear answer about how to be a great teacher.

In the last chapter, the author expresses some of his own experiences and attitudes about being a great teacher. Whitaker persuades readers and educators to try to make a plan for educating activity. No matter what happen or who speaks, teachers should think whether or not it is right for the student. Teachers lead students to be excellent through teaching lessons. As the author say “Think of it as a blueprint. The teachers are the architects. The lessons are the foundation. The students move into the building and fill it with life and meaning” (p. 121). Teachers are just like compasses that steer students in the right direction. Teachers tell students how to retain knowledge and create their own future. They only need to obtain the outline from teachers because students will use their own methods to explore this world and discover new things. The author emphasizes how these young lives contain much creativity and energy which is beyond our imagination.

In chapter twelve, the author introduces “The Ability to Ignore,” which means teachers should ignore the minor mistakes of students. When teachers learn how to tolerate their students’ little faults, students may acquire more private space and less pressure in school because they desire to receive understanding from teachers. In school, teachers scold their students when they are wrong; however, they can use another way to express their attitude and opinions, according to Whitaker. Readers may wonder why teachers sometimes obsess on find these mistakes. One of the reasons is that they forget the ability to ignore. “Great teachers have the ability to ignore trivial disturbances and the ability to respond to inappropriate behavior without escalating the situation” (p. 77). Therefore, Whitaker appeals to teachers as far as possible to overlook these minor mistakes of students, and attempt to not respond negatively when students try to challenge authority. Students will feel more freedom and less stress in schools because of teachers’ tolerance.

In chapter ten, the author introduces the idea that great teachers should be like a filter to prevent other teachers and students from negative opinions. Great teachers will overlook these passive words and criticism because they are willing to protect other teachers and students’ respect. They believe that negative opinions cannot help students’ and others teachers correct their mistakes. Therefore, great teachers listen to the complaint, but will not tell it to others. This advice is great; however, the author does not provide any tips for those who always listen to the passive words. They need to take actions to release emotions; otherwise, they could wooen into desperate feelings. It is not good for listeners’ physical and psychological health. Furthermore, it may influence the teaching process and create hidden dangers in future work.

Whitaker makes me believe that teaching is a process that teachers and students help each other to explore and discover new objects. Teachers also will receive some experiences. These discoveries may help teachers to enhance their teaching methods and teaching theory. Teaching is never a one way activity because teachers receive feedback and students retain knowledge. In this process, both sides complete themselves, and both sides will become more sophisticated.

This book is an excellent, readable book for in-service and pre-service Whitaker’s book makes this very clear. Even administrators can derive some useful information from it. Maybe readers just have a vague image about what a great teacher is, or how the great teacher could be. Nevertheless, after reading the book, readers will get a clear idea about great teachers. Readers can derive more feeling and gain more experience if they compare the author’s theory with their real life in the process of reading this book.

This book published by Routledge and is available. Readers can purchase it on Amazon. The price is $26.29 for paperback.

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