Bringing ESL students out of their shells: Enhancing participation through online discussion

Abstract

The Majority of international students at my university are ESL students, mainly from East Asia and Southeast Asia. Although student diversity makes for a more exciting and interesting classroom, teaching a culturally mixed class is not without its challenges, one of which is that ESL students tend not to participate in class discussion. This article describes how instructors can use online discussion to integrate these students and enhance their participation.