students must learn academic Writing and research methods for transitioning from high school to university. That’s why universities require writing classes in the first year. As experienced students progress to higher degrees, they continue to learn how to conduct research and write for academic publications.
But learning new writing styles can be difficult for international students, says Nat Smitbol. He is a counselor at IvyWise, a company that helps students prepare to apply to America’s top universities.
Different “academic cultures”
Smitbol said most students in the U.S. have a basic understanding that credit must be given or quote, sauce Explanation of words and ideas in academic writing. For those coming from other countries, this may be new.
Smitbol said one of the most important lessons students new to the United States learn is “this school culture of making sure you give credit to others in a formal way.”
Using someone else’s words without credit will be considered plagiarism. VOA Learning English recently created a guide for international students who need to learn more about plagiarism and why it’s a serious concern. Recently, the president of Harvard University had to resign from his position due to accusations of plagiarism.
Smitbol said citations are difficult for international students because overseas teachers and professors are often more concerned about students providing the correct answer to a question than pointing to sources.
Amjad Binshabain agrees. He is from Old Virginia. He is a student at Dominion University’s English Center (ELC). Binshabain is originally from Yemen and also attended school in the United Arab Emirates. In Virginia, he takes classes with students from Greece, Spain, Japan, and more. They often discuss the academic differences between the United States and their home countries.
AI tools
He said one of the first things ELC students learn is how to follow American university guidelines for recording audio sources. They also talk about writing papers without human help. artificial intelligence,AI,Tools.
Binshabain said students learning how to write papers in English are more likely to rely on generative AI tools. These tools can change grammar and make sentences easier to understand. But after nearly a year at ELC, he has made, in his words, “great progress.”
“Since then, I have improved since the summer of 2023. I can now write full sentences.” allocation without external sources.can read article Understand it and write it in your own words. That’s one of the techniques I’ve learned since coming to America.”
He said it’s better to struggle with writing a paper or adding citations early in college than to realize later that you don’t know how to do it.
Smitbol noted that many universities will teach students how to use tools such as RefWorks Citation Manager. Computer tools allow students to conduct research online and gather all the necessary information sources.
high stakes
Meredith Bricker teaches in the English Institute at the University of Michigan. Many of her students are working toward advanced degrees. This means that they are learning and researching difficult subjects. She said there are good and bad aspects to citation tools. On the other hand, it makes it easier for students to create a list of sources. On the other hand, it can prevent students from finding or understanding the best sources for their projects.
“They say, ‘Okay, okay. We’re just going to put everything that comes up (in the search) on the citation list,'” Bricker said.
Students who come to Bricker’s classes do their own research, she added. They want to make discoveries, generate new ideas, and get published in magazines. journal. So, stake The level of master’s and doctoral degrees is high. Compare that to a student just starting college. She said that people who one of her students cited in her paper were likely to read that paper.
“In some ways,[the quotes]are more relevant. It’s easier for them to understand the purpose and the point. But I think it’s also flip side That said, if they do it wrong, it can quickly have a devastating impact on their future. ”
International students found using someone else’s ideas without citing them may be expelled or expelled from the university. That would be a violation of the F1 student visa. At a higher level, young researchers caught plagiarizing may have trouble finding another job.
AI “will never go away”
Bricker believes students should be given credit whenever they use AI tools. “Gen-AI is not going away,” she says. “Part of our job as writing teachers is to make sure our students understand the boundaries between sentences. appropriate and improper use. ”
He said some journals allow the use of artificial intelligence, while others do not. “It depends on the field,” she said, noting that linguistics journals may have different rules than engineering journals.
Bricker said he tells students that it’s difficult for teachers to know if students are using AI tools. However, her goal as a writing teacher is to help children learn to write on their own without the help of machines.
“I’m a writing teacher, so I tell my students, ‘I want to see your writing, dear.’ I want to see what you do as a writer, and I want to help you grow as a writer…so I want to see what you do as a writer, and whether you use this or not. You can do it. But that’s your choice. ”
Binshabain said international students studying English in the United States are being seduced by AI tools. But he advises students that AI should only be used for certain purposes, such as searching for information sources.
“When I first got here, I used it for everything,” he said. “But I quit because I understand that it’s best to put effort into learning. It will definitely pay off in the future.”
I’m Dan Friedel. And I’m Gina Bennett.
Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English.
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words of this story
academic -adjective Related to work done in schools and universities, but not in business or government
quote –v. Report the source of text and other intellectual property and indicate where readers can find the original work
sauce -yeah. Copyrights or works of art mentioned
plagiarism -yeah. The act of claiming another person’s copyrighted work as one’s own
allocation -yeah. Assignments given to students by teachers at school
article -yeah. Usually not too long sentences on one subject
journal -yeah. A magazine on a large subject that is published regularly and contains several articles and opinions written by academic authors
stake -yeah. (multiple) something to win or lose
flip side -yeah. the other side of the debate
appropriate -adjective appropriate for the situation
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