A Cross Cultural Training for Indonesian Students

1. A Cross Cultural Training for Indonesian Students Kate Burrill, M.A. IAIN SunanAmpel, Surabaya

2. Session Objectives By the end of this session, you will be able to: • Identify key differences between American and Indonesian classroom culture. • Apply your knowledge of these cultural differences in future study- or work-abroad experiences. • Gain a deeper understanding of your own values and beliefs through a comparison of of the two cultures.

3. Imagine! • You are going to study at a university in the United States. • Think about: • What does it take to be successful in the American classroom? • How are the expectations of students different between the U.S. and Indonesia?

4. Four Corners What is the most important thing a student studying in America should do? • Attend class on time. • Participate a lot during class. • Take notes on everything the teacher says. • Do his/her own work (no cheating or copying). Choose the corner you agree with most, and go to that corner.

5. Four Corners Introduce yourself to the people in your corner. Talk to them about why you chose your answer. What is the most important thing a student studying in America should do? • attend class on time. • participate a lot during class. • take notes on everything the teacher says. • do his/her own work (no cheating or copying).

6. Four Corners So, what’s the right answer? • attend class on time. • participate a lot during class. • take notes on everything the teacher says. • do his/her own work (no cheating or copying). • These are all the right answer! The four choices reflect four key American cultural values that all international students should be familiar with.

7. Attend class on time • American Value: Punctuality • “Time is money” • Time is valuable—achievement-oriented society • Arrive to class before class starts. • If class starts at 8:00am, what time should you be there? • Sit in front and pay attention.

8. Participate a lot during class • American Value: Direct Communication • “Get to the point.” • Ask if you don’t understand. • During class • After class during office hours (bonus: one-on-one attention) • Don’t be shy—most professors enjoy talking to students.

9. Take notes on everything the teacher says • American Value: Self-Reliance • “It’s your responsibility.” • Be a “robo-notetaker” • Usually the professor's lectures form the major part of the material tested on the midterm and final. • So write down everything!

10. Do your own work. • American Value: Individualism • It’s OK to form study groups to get help and work together on assignments • But be careful to do your own work. • Plagiarism and copying from other students are serious offences in American universities. • You can fail the class or even get expelled from the university if you plagiarize or copy another student.

11. Outside of the Classroom • Here are a few extra tips about how your lifestyle can affect your academic success. • You will probably live in a dorm or apartment when you study in college. • You must decide how to spend your time.

12. Watch and Take Notes • Imagine you’re in an American classroom now, and this is your assignment: • Watch the film about Rocky (the bad student) and Donna (the good student). • Take notes on what you should do to be a good student in America. • After the film, you will have three minutes to review your notes and discuss your answers with a partner, and then we will discuss as a class.

13. Possible Answers • A good student… • gets to class early. • is polite. • is social. • doesn’t procrastinate. • is involved in school activities. • exercises regularly. These points are especially important for international students who want to make new friends!

14. Let’s Review • What does it take to be successful in the American classroom? (Classroom habits and lifestyle habits) • How are the expectations of students different between the U.S. and Indonesia?

15. Thank you! • “We come to know ourselves, then, through coming to know each other. And the deeper that knowledge, the richer and more creative the world we build together ” --Danny Martin, Director ofInternational Communities for the Renewal of the Earth