1st Edition
Effective Communication and Academic Success for International Students
Foreword
Mariale M. Hardiman
1. Introduction to Communication Challenges
2. The Arrival Cliff
3. Developing Personal Relationships
4. Effective Communication inside the Classroom
5. Effective Communication Outside the Classroom
6. Building Social Support Networks
7. Professional Communication and Career Development
8. Lifelong Communication Challenges
Biography
Genevive Bjorn directs the nonprofit Higher Learning Lab. A Knight Digital Media fellow, award-winning science teacher, and author of more than 50 articles in Nature, Science, The New York Times, and beyond, she champions equity driven teaching by helping learners recognize and navigate hidden curricula.
Clara Fangfang Ma is an entrepreneur, social scientist, and educator specializing in leadership education, cross-cultural competency training, and student success. She has spent over a decade supporting international students in overcoming language barriers, cultural misunderstandings, and communication challenges by studying abroad.
"International students face communication barriers that no English test can prepare them for. I know, because I was one. This book fills that gap with clarity, empathy, and rigorous grounding in research. Drawing on their journeys as both international students and instructors, the authors offer exactly the guidance students need to go from surviving to thriving.”
Mario Macis, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, USA
“Bjorn and Ma have written the book I wish existed when my international students walked into my classroom. They treat communication as a learnable skill—not a personality trait —and deliver frameworks students can actually use. Required reading for any campus serious about international student success.”
Stacey B. Lee, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, USA
“Effective Communication and Academic Success for International Students is filled with the kind of useful, practical advice that students need to hit the ground running in their new university. The depth of expertise possessed by the authors shines through and their dedication to helping students avoid the academic and social isolation often caused by communication difficulties is commendable. I strongly recommend this book to new international students or those who work to support them.”
Jacob Hosier, University of California, Davis, USA
“This book’s applied nature and practical orientation sets it apart from others in the field of English language learning. The book moves beyond studying purely linguistic content and strategies for foreign language acquisition and instead engages with the hidden curriculum of intercultural competency in higher education.”
Shelby Forbes, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, USA
