International Education and Cultural-Linguistic Experiences of International Students in Australia

Edited by Abe Ata & Alex Kostogriz




The internationalisation of higher education in the 20th century, built on an unprecedented expansion of transport and communication networks and the scope of international scholarly activities, triggered a massive flow of people across countries and continents. Geographically remote countries, such as Australia, became more attractive and accessible to migrants from Europe.

Today, international education in Australia is under enormous pressure to reinvent itself.
This book offers a collection of chapters that cover various dimensions of international education in Australia. The issues covered span from political and student identity concerns to the pedagogical and curriculum dimensions of international education and to the areas of language acquisition and language assessment. Each chapter formulates implications for the education of international students as Australia enters a new phase of hyperglobalism and completion with the rise of global cities and educational hubs that they provide beyond the traditional Western providers of higher education.

Coming from diverse backgrounds and regionst, he authors offer insights into significant developments in international education as they address crucial questions faced by educators in Australia and compare them with North America and Europe in comprehensive and critical ways. This includes shifts in methodological approaches in education and policy research, as well as other issues arising from comparative research, such as improving educational quality and responsiveness of education to the needs of international students. Several chapters address more specific problems of providing equality, access, and equity for all students, narrowing the achievement gap, and the ways of offering education that is free from prejudice and discrimination on the grounds of race, ethnicity, gender, social class and religion.

About the Author

Edited by

Abe W. Ata was born in Bethlehem. He graduated in social psychology at the American University of Beirut and was soon nominated as a delegate to the United Nations' World Youth Assembly in New York. He gained his doctorate at the University of Melbourne in 1980 and has since been teaching and researching at several Australian, American, Jordanian, West Bank (Al-Quds) and Danish universities. Abe's publications span 114 journal articles and 16 books including Education Integration Challenges: The case of Australian Muslims (2013); Us and Them (Australian Academic Press), nominated for the Prime Minister Book Awards in 2009; and Christian-Muslim Intermarriage in Australia (2003). Dr Ata contributed several articles to the Encyclopaedia of Australian Religions (2009); Encyclopaedia of the Australian People (2001) and The Encyclopaedia of Melbourne (2005). He was nominated as Australian of the Year in 2011 and in 2015. Dr Ata is currently an Honorary Fellow at Deakin University.

Alex Kostogriz is Professor of Education and Head of Education Victoria at Australian Catholic University. His research and publications focus on teacher education and professional ethics. Alex has been chief investigator on a number of projects funded by the Australian Research Council and other national and state-based funding schemes. These projects have explored the effectiveness of initial teacher education, mandated literacy assessment and reorganisation of teachers' work, professional practice and ethics of language teachers, and literacy practices in diasporic communities.

Table of Contents

  • Acknowledgments
  • Contributors
  • Introduction
  • Chapter 1 An Everyday Life Perspective on the Institutional and Cultural Identities of Chinese Students in Australia
by Ai Bin and Alex Kostogriz
  • Chapter 2 Cultural Translations: The Art of Cosmopolitan Learning as an International Student
by Carol Reid, Hussain Alsaiari and Ila Rosmilawati
  • Chapter 3 How International Students' Attitudes and Orientations Towards Cultural Differences and Multiculturalism Affect Their Engagement With Learning
by Edilson Arenas
  • Chapter 4 International Graduates' Endeavours for Work in Australia: The Experience of International Graduates of Accounting Transitioning Into the Australian Labour Market
by Ruth Arber and Mark Rahimi
  • Chapter 5 The 'English Language Question' in Higher Education: Some Reflections on Issues and Strategy
by Neil Murray
  • Chapter 6 International Students and the "English Problem" In Australian Universities: A Discursive Perspective
by Michael Haugh
  • Chapter 7 Towards a Pedagogy of Experiential Thirding in Language Education
by Alistair Welsh and Alex Kostogriz
  • Chapter 8 Arabic Language Interferences in ESL Amongst International Students in Australian Language Centers
by Abe Ata
  • Chapter 9 Reconceptualising the Academic Writing Difficulties of International Students
by Linda Y. Li & Yanyin Zhang
  • Chapter 10 Exploring the Consequences of IELTS Through International Students' Personal and Academic Experiences: A Qualitative Analysis
by Catherine Montes and Megan Yucel
  • Chapter 11 Steps to Assuring EAL International Students' ELP at Exit: It's Not Rocket Science
by Sopie Arkoudis and Lachlan Doughney
  • Chapter 12 "But isn't IELTS the most trustworthy?": English Language Assessment for Entry Into Higher Education
by Kieran O'Loughlin
  • Chapter 13 An Investigation Into the Knowledge, Education and Attitudes of Chinese, Arab (Gulf Region) and Indian Candidates to IELTS: The Case of Australia
by Abe Ata
  • Chapter 14 The Influence of Race, Ethnicity and Gender on Education Policy Reforms
by Joseph Zajda
  • Index