ISANA

Chris Beard

Abstract: The provision of quality advice to new international students has become increasingly important in
Australian and New Zealand universities. It is generally accepted that orientations help
internationals adjust to life and study in a foreign culture. Students who receive clear and relevant
advice on matters such as health services, insurance and personal safety are more likely to be
mentally equipped for the early stages of their sojourn than students who do not receive such
advice or fail to understand it.
It is surprising then that few studies have investigated the extent to which new arrivals
comprehend the information presented to them. Also, evidence-based models for the orientation of
new students are lacking, and so the efficacy of orientation practice is more difficult to assess.
This discussion paper will argue that a problem has slipped to some extent beneath the pastoral
care radar: a communication gap that exists between education providers and new international
students as a result of linguistic and cultural factors. A ground-level communication model is then
introduced as a first step towards addressing the problem.

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