Integrating International Students into Your Class: 10 Ways to Smooth the Transition

In recent years, schools across the globe have continued to welcome international students.

1. Help Students Connect with Local Culture 

   Whether students are attending schools in other countries by choice or circumstance, most are interested in learning about local culture and lifestyle. As a teacher, you could help to integrate international pupils by organizing trips to local landmarks, sampling regional foods, and participating in community traditions.

   With Showbie, you can extend cultural learning digitally, capturing reflections, sharing media, and creating collaborative assignments where students document their local discoveries. Whether it’s photos from a neighbourhood walk or voice notes about a local festival, Showbie helps students bring their experiences into learning.

2.  Support Student Involvement in School and in the Community

   Some international students dive into school life with ease, but for many, it’s more complicated. They might be introverted, unsure where they fit in, or simply overwhelmed by all the cultural differences. A bit of guidance can go a long way. 
   
   Check in with students about their interests, and help them explore clubs, groups, or events that suit them. You could even set up an after-school group tied to your subject, where students can collaborate on projects or share their experiences.

3. Pair Them with Student Mentors

   Some things are best done one-to-one, especially when it comes to helping international students settle in. As a teacher, you may not always be able to give students that one on one attention. Instead, you can pair international students with other students for mentoring and peer companionship.
   
   Consider pairing new students with classmates who can show them around, explain routines, or simply be someone to talk to. Some schools even run peer mentoring schemes, where older pupils take on a guiding role for newer ones.

4. Bridge The Language Gap When You Can

   Even if a student is fluent in the primary language spoken at your school, they can still face challenges. Expressing emotions, following instructions, or picking up on subtle cues can be difficult. You may not be able to deliver every lecture and every assignment in multiple languages, but you can help these students by bridging the translation gap when you can.

   Translating key information, like assignment briefs or class expectations, can help students feel more confident and included.

5. Learn The Difference Between Lack of Comprehension and Communication Gaps

   It can be difficult to know when a student doesn’t understand something, and when a student is just struggling to communicate their thoughts.

   One thing to keep in mind is that many students struggle with written communication more when a task is cognitively more difficult. To support these students, give them time to revise their writing and offer feedback they can act on.

   With Showbie, you can provide that support in flexible ways, using voice notes, annotated comments, or scaffolded instructions to guide them step by step.

6. Encourage Participation by Welcoming Other Languages 

   Along the same lines, a language gap can also stop students from participating in class discussions. While native speakers might participate in without a second thought, multilingual students often pause to translate, worry about making sense, or feel unsure their ideas will land. 
   
   Consider encouraging students to go ahead and participate in lively class discussions using their own language, or a mix of their language and the one commonly spoken in your class. Once they get their thoughts out, they can translate for others as needed. This helps them stay engaged, and has the added benefit of exposing other students to different languages.

7. Take Time to Learn About Students’ Cultures and Traditions 

   When teachers take the time to learn about a student’s cultural background, it helps that student feel welcome, respected, and valued. Even small gestures, like recognizing a cultural holiday or asking about a family tradition, can build trust and connection. 
   
   Understanding a student’s cultural context can also help you spot moments where a lesson, routine or expectation might need adjusting.

8. Use Visual Aids When Teaching 

   First responders and doctors often use visual aids when working with patients who don’t speak the same language. These can be used to teach concepts, and to ensure that everyone has the same understanding of something. 
   
   For example, a non-English speaking student may not understand the differences between words like sad, devastated, worried, dejected, and heartbroken. In Showbie, you can easily share pictures to help students see and discuss those differences.

9. Encourage Students to Share Cultural Perspectives in Class

   Students learn best when they can connect lessons to their own experiences. They’re better able to understand, and better able to express their thoughts when they can create those associations. When students are able to relay those experiences in class discussions, everyone involved can better understand from those examples.

   To help international students, make sure they feel safe sharing their own experiences as they relate to classroom discussions. There may be language and understanding barriers that could cause some disconnects, and it’s important to handle those carefully. Students who are embarrassed after sharing may shut down and be unwilling to engage in the future.

10. Give Students Time to Adjust

    Adjusting to a new school, culture, and language doesn’t happen overnight. International students may take longer to warm up, participate fully, or perform at the level they’re capable of. Be patient and allow space for students to ease into routines, take risks, and ask questions. With Showbie, you can offer ways for students to check in, reflect, or contribute, through written responses, voice notes, and private feedback.

Final Thoughts

If you can help students become better integrated into the classroom, you accomplish more than helping them to achieve academic success. You help them to have a better overall experience at your school, and in their new community.