Group Topic "Challeneges and Benefits"

When interviewing international students there are both challenges and benefits to the situation. The challenges that one may face when interviewing range anywhere from language capabilities to religious views between the two people. Not everything during the interview is a challenge though. There are benefits as well and they can range anywhere from learning about a new culture to putting yourself into a diverse situation.

When interviewing an international student there can be barriers that prevent you from obtaining the information you were looking for. Language plays a huge role in the interview process. If you cannot understand them, or vice versa, it will be tough for you to communicate. While interviewing the other person, it might be difficult because of cultural differences. Cultural differences not only make it tough for you to interview them but it might make it uncomfortable for interviewee to share information amongst you. In almost every culture there are religious views or customs that people practice. If the two people meeting to talk share different views between the subjects of religion, it will make it tough for one another to actually listen and not be biased. Listening is the key while giving the interview and you don’t want to let biased thoughts wreck the information that is being given to you.

Just because there might be challenges during the interview, it doesn’t mean there can’t be benefits. If you pay attention during the interview there might be a chance you’ll be able to learn something about another culture besides your own.  Interviewing international students you give yourself opportunities for meaningful interactions with others you may have never of had the opportunity to do. Meaningful interactions just might include having a conversation about how life is viewed differently between the two. When you put yourself out there to interview international students you are involving yourself in the diverse community. Asking others about their country or how things worked in the country they are from will enhance your knowledge in global issues or global surroundings. Not only do the interviews give you a chance to make acquaintances but it also gives you the opportunity to compare and contrast your own culture to the culture you have just learned about.

Interviews can be both a struggle and a benefit to both people. Interviews are like a race. There is going to be struggle during the race but hopefully by the end of the race, when you cross the finish line, there is something you got out of it. Preparing yourself to face the challenges will help you obtain the information you were intentionally looking for when you decided to do the interview.

 

Group: Valerie Mattson, Jasmin Sainju, Grant Schow

Works Cited

"Benefits of Student Exchange | World Education Program Australia." World Education Program Australia | Student Exchange. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Oct. 2013. .
<http://wep.org.au/info/student-exchange-benefits>.

"Border crossings in the classroom: The international student interview as a strategy for promoting intercultural understanding | Derek Alderman - Academia.edu." Academia.edu - Share research. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Oct. 2013. <http://www.academia.edu/1029548/Border_crossings_in_the_classroom_The_international_student_interview_as_a_strategy_for_promoting_intercultural_understanding>.


We chose this essay because it covered the topics we discussed coherently with a sense of structure.The strengths that the paper had were an introduction and a conclusion following the body of the paper.