On 19 November 2024, CULCOM hosted a talk by James Webber from SayWhat entitled ‘How Educators Can Empower International Students’. When we consider communication in intercultural settings, we typically focus on what learners of English can do to communicate better, and less so on what L1 speakers of English can do. In his talk, James focused on the actions that L1 speakers can take. The talk presented evidence on the link between language and student mental health; raised awareness about the language levels that educators can expect from international university students; and importantly, concluded with tips and resources which can help educators better communicate with (international) students.
James is Director of Online Learning at SayWhat – a company which helps L1 English speakers improve the way in which they communicate with learners of English. James has extensive experience working with educators at Anglophone universities to overcome challenges in and improve communication with international students and hosts the podcast Communication Matters.