WISE Staff Toolkit

Supporting International Students

Introduction Understanding the international student experience Common issues and challenges in their academic journey Mismatches in practice Using student data and insights Small actions, big difference Further resources

Warwick International Student Experience Toolkit (WISE)

The Warwick International Student Experience (WISE) toolkit supports staff in understanding and enhancing the experience of international students at Warwick. It brings together insights from staff, students, and institutional data to highlight common challenges and practical approaches to supporting international students across teaching, engagement, and support services.

This toolkit will continue to evolve as new resources, examples, and insights are added.

About the Project Team

This resource is developed as part of a collaborative project with the Internationalisation Learning Circle and a Staff Masterclass funded by the Warwick International Higher Education Academy (WIHEA).

Dr Samantha Wilson-Thain

WIHEA Fellow

Associate Professor (Teaching Focused)

Director of Student Experience

School of Life Sciences

Dr Thomas Greenaway

WIHEA Alumni

Intercultural Training Programme Development Consultant

Student Opportunity

Emily Roisin Reid

WIHEA Alumni

Associate Professor

Director of Student Experience, Employability and Progression

Warwick Medical School

Echo Zhou

WIHEA Member

Co-chair of International Student Experience Advisory Board (ISEAB)

Deputy Director Student Experience & Head of International Student Support and Experience

Student Experience

Daniel Jones

WIHEA fellow

Co-lead for the Internationalisation Learning Circle.

Associate Professor and Programme Director for the Short Courses, Pre-sessional and In-sessional English Programmes

Warwick Global Academy

Understanding the international student experience

One in three of our students is international (including those from the EU).

If we break this down by study level, international students represent 22% of UG students, 70% of PGT students and nearly 50% of PGR students (2025).

Arriving from around the world, these students bring a wide range of backgrounds, cultures, and prior learning experiences.

This diversity defies simple categorisation and reminds us that international students are not a homogenous group.

Viewing students primarily through the lens of being “international” can inadvertently overlook the knowledge, skills, and achievements they bring.

Understanding the international student experience means recognising that students may engage with the academic environment differently depending on their previous education, expectations, and familiarity with UK academic culture.

Appreciating these perspectives helps staff offer more effective support and create inclusive learning environments.

Common issues and challenges in their academic journey

This section outlines some of the challenges international students may encounter across their academic journey.

Settling in

The first few weeks can feel overwhelming as students adapt to life in a new country while also trying to understand academic expectations. During induction, many experience information overload, so key messages should be prioritised and delivered through appropriate channels at appropriate times.

For students whose first or main language is not English, this period is especially demanding. Many will have learned English through shorter recorded texts and may not be accustomed to extended talks. Heavily structuring presentations and using 10–15 minute blocks with interactive tasks helps students process and retain information.

English Language usage

The university sets a high bar for English language proficiency at the admissions stage, and most international students arrive with strong formal skills. However, meeting entry requirements does not remove the challenges of using English in fast‑moving academic and social environments. Everyday communication often involves unfamiliar accents, colloquial expressions and rapid exchanges, all of which can make interactions feel unpredictable and tiring.

In addition to linguistic demands, students may also be navigating differences in cultural capital. British humour, indirect communication styles and references to television, politics or shared childhood experiences can be difficult to interpret without the same cultural reference points. This can leave students feeling slightly out of step in conversations, even when their language proficiency is high.

In teaching situations, students may need additional time to process spoken information while also taking notes or preparing a contribution. Activities that rely on spontaneous discussion or unstructured debate can be particularly demanding. Clear signposting, repetition of key points and short pauses for thinking time help students follow the flow of ideas and participate more confidently.

Engagement beyond the classroom can also be affected by both language and cultural expectations. Some students may worry about making mistakes, missing a joke or slowing others down, which can lead them to withdraw from group work or social opportunities. Creating low‑pressure spaces for interaction and modelling inclusive communication practices supports students in building confidence and forming connections with peers.

Adapting to expectations

Students admitted to Warwick have already achieved academic success using strategies that worked in their previous educational contexts. These strategies may differ from expectations in UK seminars, lectures, or group discussions. For example, a student who does not ask questions may be navigating linguistic demands or coming from an academic culture where questioning in certain contexts is not the norm. Adapting to new expectations takes time. Explicit modelling by peers and staff helps greatly. Students also bring their own preferences and personalities, and these should be recognised alongside cultural influences.

For students working in a second or other language, cognitive load is a key consideration. Processing academic content while preparing for tasks takes considerably more time and energy. Reading academic texts and participating in learning activities is more demanding, so distributing content across the week rather than concentrating it in scheduled teaching helps reduce overload. Students also need repeated opportunities to engage with new vocabulary and concepts.

Preparing for assesments

Students’ prior experience strongly shapes how they approach assessments, especially assessment briefs and related documents. Some may be unfamiliar with using supporting documentation to guide their work. Long, detailed briefs are often well intentioned but may cause confusion about what is required versus what is recommended, so clarity and accessibility are essential.

Mismatches in practice

Responsibility and Different Help-seeking behaviours

Student perspective:

In their Voice:

“I don’t want to bother the professor even though there are office hours available since I am afraid of asking a stupid question that would make me seem less clever”

What’s the Issue:

Students avoid office hours, asking for follow-ups, extensions, or asking questions due to fear of appearing weak, rude, or unintelligent.

Staff perspective:

In their Voice:

“No one is visiting during office hours, so I assume everyone understand the content in the course”

What’s the Issue:

Staff interpret silence as understanding or disengagement, or students need to be proactive rather than staff.

What would help?:

Normalise help-seeking, clearly explain office hours, and expectations, and proactively invite questions

Language barriers

Student perspective:

In their Voice:

“I have strong accent and is not really being confident when speaking English, so I tend to be silent even when I am being asked questions."

What’s the Issue:

Students may struggle and less confident with accents, slang, and processing English quickly in seminars or lectures.

In their Voice:

“We get no feedback on things outside academics”

What’s the Issue:

Staff assume students know what they want to do after studies as they don’t get feedback.

What would help?:

Clearer communication of with departments and students about the opportunities available and signposting students to the relevant services.

Using student data and insights

This section provides guidance on how to interpret and use institutional and departmental data via Data Dashboard, Student Surveys, and qualitative feedback to identify opportunities for improving the international student experience.

Enrolment Statistics Student Survey Data Student Opportunity Event Attendance Dashboard

Student Opportunity events are held in MyAdvantage and headline information about student engagement with Student Opportunity services are displayed in a Dashboard, accessible by staff members only. This data gives you an indicator as to how active your students are in engaging in activities that are aimed to enable them to develop skills and career services.

SO Event Attendance

International Student Roundtable

The International Student Support & Experience team hosts a series of roundtable discussions to better understand international students' expectation and lived experiences. The views shared during the roundtable enable the team to triangulate and extrapolate information, and use these as part of the evidence base when designing solutions and interventions.

International Student Roundtable reports

How to use Student Roundtable as an engagement tool - a case study

Small actions, big difference

Engaging international students in meaningful and culturally sensitive ways can go a long way in building trust and helping them feel included.

This section highlights top tips and practical approaches to ensure we engage international students intentionally and thoughtfully in everyday interaction, by design, and not by accident.

Quick wins for digital accessibility

1. Use clear, consistent digital layouts 2. Caption and transcribe all videos/ audio 3. Reduce cognitive load with accessible formatting 4. Provide multilingual-friendly file types

Upload materials in formats that work well with translation and text‑to‑speech tools:

PDFs saved as readable text (not image scans)
Word documents with styles applied
Alt text for images

These small steps make materials accessible across languages and devices

5. Use simple plain English in all digital instructions

Practical tips for inclusive teaching

1. Supporting academic transition 2. Communication & interaction 3. Curriculum & assessment

Integrateglobal case studiesand diverse sources.
Provide explicit marking criteria and exemplars.
Clarify academic integrity, critical thinking expectations, and writing norms.
Provide examples of high‑quality work and step‑by‑step submission guidance.

4. Assessment feedback

Avoid correcting every language error. This does not contribute to grading decisions and is unlikely to support language development.
Instead, use the PALS approach: Prioritised, Actionable, Limited, and Specific.
Target a small, manageable set of issues, such as focusing on one page of an essay and asking students to address only three areas.

5. Inclusive learning environment

Structuremixed‑cultural groupworkwith clear roles and expectations.
Avoid positioning students as cultural representatives.
Encourage bilingual glossaries and discussion of key terms.
Create a respectful space where diverse perspectives are valued.

6. Personalised support & wellbeing

Explain office hours, how to seek help, and what support services offer.
Proactively invite contact for questions or concerns.
Connect students to language support, peer mentoring, and study skills.
Recognise cultural differences in help‑seeking behaviours.

7. Belonging & community

Create peer networks and mixed‑group activities.
Acknowledge cultural and religious holidays.
Design social‑academic events that encourage intercultural interaction.
Establish online discussion spaces for ongoing connection.

Click here for moreInclusive Classroom Examples

Encouraging questions and academic confidence

Normalise question‑asking explicitly

“In this classroom, questions show curiosity and engagement. You’re not interrupting—you’re contributing.”

Model curiosity and vulnerability

Not all students are comfortable speaking in front of peers or in a new language. Offer a range of participation options.

Validate contributions warmly and safely

“That’s a helpful question—thank you.”

“I’m glad you raised that; others may be wondering the same.”

“Let’s explore that idea together.”

Demystify academic expectations

Terms like criticality, synthesis, evaluation, or independent learning may not translate easily across cultures. Offer quick clarifications, models of good work, and examples of the kinds of questions students are encouraged to ask.

Find more practical tips on inclusive classroom practice:

Inclusive Classroom Practice

Additional guidance will be added as part of the ongoing development of the toolkit.

Supporting student engagement and participation

One of the simplest, most powerful ways to build an inclusive learning environment is to take the time to get to know your students as individuals. For international students, who may be navigating a new country, new academic culture, and new social norms, this matters even more.

Learn their names, and say them correctly

A student’s name is often one of the strongest connections they have to their identity and heritage. Making the effort to learn and correctly pronounce their name signals respect, belonging, and recognition. It also tells international students that they are seen as full members of the learning community, not outsiders or temporary visitors.

Show genuine curiosity about their backgrounds

A quick conversation, asking where they feel most at home, what languages they speak, or what motivated them to join the programme, can be transformative. You’re not asking them to represent an entire culture or be the “international voice”; you’re simply learning who they are.

These small moments break down barriers, reduce anxiety, and open the door to richer dialogue.

Build early connections that support later engagement

Students who feel known are more willing to ask questions, share uncertainties, and participate in learning activities. This is particularly true for students from cultures where speaking up, challenging ideas, or approaching staff may be unfamiliar or intimidating.

A few minutes of relationship‑building early in the term pays dividends in confidence and engagement later on.

Use names intentionally in teaching Remember that belonging drives learning Quick win

Provide each personal tutor with a list of their tutees, (phonetic spelling will help with accurate pronunciation) and a photo (where provided), before students have their first meeting.

Having this information in advance allows tutors to greet students confidently, use their names accurately from the very first interaction, and reduce awkwardness or anxiety, particularly for international students who may already feel unfamiliar with UK academic systems.

This simple, proactive step supports a more welcoming first meeting, fosters trust, and signals to students that their identity is recognised and respected from day one.

You can learn more about Belonging at Warwick here:

Building Belonging Learning Circle

Further resources:

International student support overview

This slide deck provides an overview of the support available to international students from pre‑arrival through post‑graduation, mapped against the UKCISA #WeAreInternational Student Charter. It brings together key activities from services across the University, offering staff a clear understanding of what is available and when.

Colleagues can use this resource to build confidence in navigating support pathways, strengthen their knowledge of what's happening when, and signpost students more effectively to the right help at the right time.

International student support overview Why is our approach sector-leading

For staff:

University of Warwick - Guide for Personal Tutors (created by international students)University of Warwick - Repository of central comms newsletter to current students University of Warwick - Student Engagement Toolkit University of Warwick - Professional Services Excellence Network UKCISA - A Toolkit for Supporting International Students (2025)JISC - Staff Toolkit to enhance International Student Experience (project based)

For students:

One-stop Information Hub for International Student Support International Student Wellbeing Support International Student Careers Support Academic Essentials