How Do We Get People to Interact? International Students and the American Experience

Authors

  • Danielle Geary Georgia Institute of Technology, United States

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v6i2.369

Keywords:

international students, cultural exchange, diversity, authentic friendships, student interaction

Abstract

American colleges and universities consider diversity a way to foster personal growth and a healthy society, challenge stereotypes, encourage critical thinking, and help students communicate and feel comfortable with people they may perceive to be different. Quality interaction that has the potential to grow into authentic relationships between Americans and international students may be the bridge to affecting these outcomes, but how do we get people to interact? In this article, based on research as well as her own experience as an international student, the author explores some of the challenges international students face and suggests ideas for sparking interaction between international students and Americans.

Author Biography

  • Danielle Geary, Georgia Institute of Technology, United States

    DANIELLE GEARY, Ed.D., a Lecturer and Coordinator at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has been an international student herself, and roughly 20-30% of her students any given semester are international students. Some of her extensive international travel experience includes studying abroad, leading study abroad groups, living in Spain for several years, evaluating language institutes in Mexico, and conducting an ethnographical field study in Costa Rica. 

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Published

2016-04-01

Issue

Section

Research Articles (English)

How to Cite

How Do We Get People to Interact? International Students and the American Experience. (2016). Journal of International Students, 6(2), 527-541. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v6i2.369