Viewing student behavior through the lenses of culture and globalization: two narratives from a US college writing class

Globalization is bringing about profound changes in the university writing class in Western English-speaking universities, notably due to the influx of international students. This article narrates the experiences of a US writing teacher working with Chinese international students. It presents two incidents in which misunderstandings occurred, one involving textual re-use and the other, writing tests. The narratives demonstrate that, in order to understand student behavior, it is important for teachers to understand both the global context within which international students operate and their cultures of learning. The argument rests on the premise that, through personal engagement with students, teachers can engage in transformative internationalization, a type of internationalization that involves synergistic changes in both teachers and students.