Education Commons^™

Cross Cultural Double Talk: Communication Challenges Within Edu-Tourism, Suzie Ting, Marie-Claire Patron

Marie-Claire Patron

The massive acceleration of international student mobility in recent years has provided an eclectic (short and long term) cultural influx into Australia. Sitting somewhere between structured immigration and international tourism, this influx effectively constitutes edu-tourism, in which students seek to experience education and local culture over a period of several weeks, months or even years. It is through the hybrid nature of this edu-tourism, that the complex interconnection of culture, languages and education is highlighted, revealing both significant advantages and flaws. If we are to value education above it being merely a tradable commodity, it is clear that it must …