Why Many International Students Get a Failing Grade in Academic Essay

Why Many International Students Get a Failing Grade in Academic Integrity and Plagiarism from a Cross-Cultural Perspective - Essay Example As the paper outlines, there are many causes of the plagiarism that can be categorized as intentional or unintentional.   This becomes a problem because most of those who commit plagiarism are international students which James Bradshaw and Tamara Baluja have anecdotally set the figure at over 50% that makes up about 12 percent of the total student body at U of T (2011).   This is a serious issue because plagiarism is considered as a serious infraction in Western universities that has a consequence that ranges from the reminder to expulsion. There are a number of reasons cited for committing plagiarism as well as solutions to minimize and avoid similar occurrences in the future. This paper will compare the various solutions presented to minimize plagiarism such as language tutorials, familiarization with academic expectation and taking the online quiz and from among these solutions will evaluate the most tenable option for international students. Often, plagiarism is committed by international students not because they intend to â€Å"cheat or steal one’s idea and claiming it as one’s own† but rather unintentional. This is attributed more to cultural differences rather than the blatant intention to cheat. Western students are more accustomed to their native individualist culture and language it, therefore, it is easier for them to adapt and express their own thoughts in their native language and to be critical with the paper that they are doing. This is entirely different from foreign students. First, they have to struggle with the language that they are not accustomed to and their vocabularies are often lacking. Second, there is a huge difference in the perception of among foreign students about what constitutes cheating in an academic setting. Take for example the case of Middle Eastern students as exemplified by Magied Also, an international student from Saudi Arabia and President of the International Students Association at St. Clou d State University who articulated the cultural differences of Saudi Arabian students with western students that puts them in trouble; I think people in Saudi Arabia are very close to each other and so we grow up helping each other. It’s a good thing, but it becomes a problem for Saudis in the U.S. We often get out of an exam and share questions with others and we think it’s a common thing because we grow up in a society that tells us to share things and wish the best for your friends. In Saudi Arabia, your accomplishments are not recorded by your name, but by your tribe or family. For instance, when a guy from Najran succeeds, it’s considered as a success for the whole city. In the U.S. this is not the case (Al Jamiat, nd). This is a classic example of what is the virtue in a certain cultural context is a misdemeanor in another’s. Saudis typify the Middle Eastern sense of community to share and help each other but this does not sit well in the west espec ially during exams. Also, there is a misdemeanor shared by almost all international students – that is their tendency to mug and mimic a teacher’s words in their academic works without proper citation. Middle East students, as well as Indians, believe that the more they take notes of what the teacher says, the higher their chance of getting good grades. Asians are more notorious in this aspect because culturally, they are very respectful of figureheads especially teachers that the non-use of their teacher’s words and language would constitute disrespect.