The document proposes a curriculum for an adaptation course for international freshmen at American universities. It discusses challenges international students face in adjusting to American academic culture and the benefits of a freshman experience course. Specifically, it outlines a proposed course for Lehigh University that would help international students develop academic and cultural skills to succeed, including critical thinking, study skills, relationship skills, and metacognition. Pre-assessments would evaluate students' learning styles and personalities. The goal is to increase retention and integration of international students.

1. Adapta8on to the American
University: A Curriculum for
Interna8onal Freshman
TESOL 2010 Presenta8on
Jane Desnouée, Ed.D.
Tim Bonner
Lehigh University
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2. Do you know?
• What percentage of first‐year students…
1. Found it difficult to manage their 8me? 48%
2. Had difficulty developing study skills? 37%
3. Were lonely or homesick their first year? 65%
4. Felt overwhelmed by the workload? 41%
5. Frequently slept 8 hours per night? 22%
6. Frequently explored topics on their own 28%
7. Witnessed academic dishonesty or chea8ng? 44%
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3. Why include a freshman course?
• Increases/Op8mizes Learning (J. Gardner, 2003‐2006)
– 46.4% increase in freshman to sophomore reten8on rates
– 41.2% improved peer connec8ons
– 38.1% increase in sa8sfac8on with ins8tu8on
– 32.4% increase in student par8cipa8on in campus ac8vi8es
– 29.1% increase in academic abili8es
– 17.8% increase in GPAs
– 17.6% increase in gradua8on rates
• Learning Communi-es (cohorts) provide an environment for…
– Forums for discussion (especially for interna8onal)
– Ease of integra8on into the university
– Crea8ng a group of “belonging”
• MIT, Georgia Tech, U of Pihsburg, U of Illinois, Ithaca College
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4. First‐Year Experience at Ithaca College
• The goals of the FYE at Ithaca are…
1. To engage in a shared learning experience
2. To acquire knowledge and skills for self‐directed learning
and academic achievement
3. To understand the roles, responsibili8es, and benefits of
membership in a community of learners
4. To expose students to diverse ideas, experiences, and
people
5. To provide students with services and support to be
academically and socially successful
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5. One Successful Example…
• LaGuardia Community College Freshman study
– 13,000 students
– 159 different countries
– 57% foreign‐born
– 110 languages
– 65% freshman to sophomore reten8on rate
– 1 of 13 colleges recognized na8onwide by Policy
Center on the First Year of College (Gardner, et al.)
• Two‐year colleges: 56.4% average reten8on rate
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6. Does Lehigh need this course?
• Lehigh dropped Freshman Experience course and added
Evolu-on Iden-ty Development Program (no academic rigor)
• Dean of Students ahests that “Evolu-on program does not
typify the academic rigor of the ESL Adapta-on course.”
• English Composi8on Director relates that “Composi8on and
Rhetoric have moved away from Rhetorical Modes or Prose
Models.”
• Current ESL Program Courses for Interna8onal Freshmen
– English 3 and 5 (equivalent to Comp and Lit 1 and 2)
– English 97 (Speaking Communica8on and Pragma8cs)
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7. English 3 and 5 Tes8monials
• Nisa Qais from Bangledesh: “I have made my best
friends in this nonthreatening classroom senng
[English 3].”
• Adrian Valasquez from Venezuela: “The people in this
class [English 3] are more like me.”
• Liang Zhili from China: “English 3 and 5 are extremely
crucial to my command of English as well as my
educa8on at Lehigh. English is the founda8on for
almost everything in college. This, of course, includes
all the aspects in socializing and daily communica8ons
as well.” Copyright © Desnouée/Bonner 8

8. English 097 Tes8monials
• “This course helps us interna8onal students to
get used to the way of Americans’ speaking…
to be more confident to speak.”
• “I’ve been 5 years in the States, but adap8ng
to new environment such as college was
totally different. I had hard 8mes at the
beginning, but through this course, I learned
to speak to professors and new friends in
college.”
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9. Missing Academic and Cultural Skills
• Although most are advanced and ahended US HSs, our interna8onal freshmen
s8ll need to improve their ability to achieve and integrate
• The American Classroom
– Cri8cal thinking and sharing (being asser8ve)
– Expecta8ons (help yourself, be ac8ve)
– Exams (forma8ve versus summa8ve)
– American grading system
• Study Skills
– Time management
– Note‐taking, textbook/lecture integra8on
• Choices and Boundaries in Rela8onships
– The “friendly” American (friends vs. acquaintances)
– Developing posi8ve cross‐cultural rela8onships
– Staying healthy and safe on campus
– Connect to DOS’ Evolu8on Seminar
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10. Gaining Support for the Course
• Interna8onaliza8on is a 8mely topic right now!
– Garner informal support of faculty and administrators
• Proposal for First‐Year Experience course (pgs. 1‐2)
– Research and Prior experiences
– Increase in interna8onal enrollment and reten8on
– Ra8onale and Descrip8on
– Building a learning community
• Finng it into the first year curriculum
– Fit into the mission of Lehigh and Interna8onaliza8on
– Vet it and collect data to garner support from faculty
– 1 credit, pass/fail
– Who can teach it?
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11. Developing the Syllabus
• Key Themes
• Class Schedule (6 mee8ngs over 12 weeks)
• Materials (Books and Blackboard Course page)
• Grading (Pass/Fail – Content over Form)
• Pre‐Assessments for Metacogni+on (self‐awareness)
– Emo8onal Intelligence
– Intercultural diagnos8c (CQS)
– Mul8ple Intelligences (Howard, not John)
– VARK (Visual, Aural, Read/Write, Kinesthe8c)
– LASSI
– Myers‐Briggs Copyright © Desnouée/Bonner 12
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12. Ques8ons and Contact Informa8on
• Raffle
• Ques8ons…
• Contact informa8on and sources in packet…
Thank you!
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13. Cultural Intelligence Survey
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14. Mul8ple Intelligences
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15. VARK
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16. LASSI
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17. Myers‐Briggs Personality Type
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