August 7, 2011

College 101 for Non-Native Speakers

Pathways programs blend English and academics to help foreign students succeed

As Pathways Programs Catch On in North America, Colleges See Successes for International Students 1

Amanda L. Smith for The Chronicle

Tianjing Gu (center) and Junwei Jia, from China, shop at a farmers' market near Oregon State U., where they enrolled after completing a special yearlong program for students who need extra help with English.

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close As Pathways Programs Catch On in North America, Colleges See Successes for International Students 1

Amanda L. Smith for The Chronicle

Tianjing Gu (center) and Junwei Jia, from China, shop at a farmers' market near Oregon State U., where they enrolled after completing a special yearlong program for students who need extra help with English.

By Karin Fischer

Corvallis, Ore.

James Gregory Friedman stands at the front of an Oregon State University classroom and writes two words on a white board: disposable income.

"What does that mean?" he asks, looking expectantly at his students, who are mostly male, Asian, and, for the moment, silent.

Mr. Friedman is an English-language instructor, but these days he is spending much of his time discussing business theory and basic engineering principles, as part of a new program here for international students.