6.5: Application

Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\):

Writing

Write your answers on a separate piece of paper to turn in.

You read about the problems of four IELP students in the text. For each case, take some notes and be prepared to talk about the following with your classmates. Some example answers have been given for the first problem.

1. Identify the problem(s).
2. Create a list of ideas to help solve the problem.
3. Select the best idea or ideas.
4. Imagine the results of this idea.
5. Determine if this is a good solution.

Example for Fahad

1. Fahad needs more sleep because he is getting woken up at night.

   Fahad does not like living in a house with pets.

   We can identify two problems that Fahad is facing.

2. *wear earplugs to bed

   *ask family to put pets outside

   *learn about pets and why they are important to family

   *move to a different host family

   *get his own apartment

   *move onto campus

   We can come up with a list of many solutions. Some solutions have Fahad staying in his current situation. Some solutions have Fahad moving out.

3. Fahad should get his own apartment in a town a little farther away from campus so that he can afford the rent.

   We know that one of Fahad’s concerns is cost. He doesn’t have enough money to rent an apartment close to school. However, maybe he will have enough to rent a little farther away from school.

4. Possible results (from your imagination):

   *Fahad comes to class late every day because he lives far away from campus

   *Fahad can’t pay his rent because he didn’t think about other expenses like utilities, internet, food, etc.

   *Fahad’s neighbors have dogs and they bark all night. Fahad still can’t sleep at night.

   The imagined results are a little extreme, but this is part of making a good decision, you should imagine any possible result, not just the good ones.

5. The solution might not be good. Maybe Fahad should get a roommate or maybe he should try to stay with his host family.

Now, write your notes about Mercy, Ha, and Hiroki. Remember to do the following:

1. Identify the problem(s).
2. Create a list of ideas to help solve the problem.
3. Select the best idea or ideas.
4. Imagine the positive and negative results of this idea.
5. Determine if this is a good solution.

Exercise \(\PageIndex{2}\):

Problems Faced by International Students

The following list was created by international students. The list contains real problems faced by international students at Portland State University. Read through the list with your classmates. Ask your teacher about any words that are new to you.

1. They don’t know where their classes are or they are hard to find.
2. They don’t know how to use the street car or trains.
3. They will not be able to find good meals that they like to eat.
4. They don’t know where the good areas to live are.
5. They don’t have anyone to talk to when they are homesick.
6. They feel shy when they want to ask questions.
7. They have difficulty finding real friends.
8. They have a hard time finding apartments or houses to live in.
9. They have a hard time understanding people because they speak too quickly.
10. Studying English is difficult.
11. They suffer from culture shock.
12. They live alone.
13. They can’t adapt to eating American food.
14. They don’t come to class on time.
15. They are not native speakers of their second language.
16. They can’t find what they need.
17. Health insurance is necessary and expensive.
18. They need to get high scores on the IELTS or TOEFL.
19. They have problems with their I-20s.
20. They only have 10 minutes to get to classes, but the buildings are far apart.
21. Doing group work in class can be uncomfortable for some students.
22. They don’t know how to use the money.
23. The weather is unfamiliar.
24. There is too much homework.
25. Transportation is different from their country.
26. There are a lot of different types of food.
27. Greeting culture is very difficult. For example, Americans give hugs when they greet friends.

Now, think about the list carefully. With your partners, do the following:

1. Decide if each problem relates specifically to international students. If it does not relate to (only) international students, draw a line through the sentence. Which numbers from the list did you remove?
2. Decide which problems are easily remedied. In other words, which problems can easily be fixed, and you never have to worry about them again? Circle those numbers. Which numbers from the list did you circle?
3. Decide which problems would me more difficult to solve. In other words, which problems might take a while to fix or might not be fixable? Highlight those sentences. Which sentences from the list did you highlight?
4. From the problems you and your partners highlighted, which one is the most serious problem for international students? The answer to this is your opinion. Talk to your partners and come to an agreement. Which problem does your group think is most serious? Write the problem below.
5. Now, brainstorm some possible solutions to the problem your group has chosen. How can you remedy the problem? Remember, you can’t change the problem or avoid it. You need to work to resolve it.