The social and cultural life of non-native English speaking international graduate students at a Canadian university

2003 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 247-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanne Myles ◽  
Liying Cheng
2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manjet Kaur Mehar Singh

This article focuses on the challenges faced by non-native English speaking international graduate students in their academic writing practices while they studied at a university in Malaysia as well as the solutions they employed when faced with the challenges. Academic Literacies Questionnaire was used to collect data. Based on 131 participants, the findings indicate that non-native English speaking international graduate students faced challenges in their academic writing practices in the instructional settings where English was used as a medium. In addition, the results revealed that some challenges those students face were mainly attributable to the fact that English in Malaysia is not the native or first language. This study suggests policies and programmes to meet the unique academic writing background needs of these students and ensure their academic success.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu-Yuan Lin ◽  
Susan Day Scherz

Non-Native English Speaking (NNES) international students attending colleges and universities in the United States often encounter difficulties in adjusting to their new cultural environment. In addition, they often struggle with academic language while learning the content and conceptual structures of various graduate level disciplines. This phenomenological study identified cultural and linguistic challenges experienced by NNES Asian international graduate students at a mediumsized rural university in the northwestern United States. A pedagogical framework and recommendations for professional practice address the linguistic, cultural, and academic needs of this particular student population in higher education.


2012 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Liu

International graduate students are coming in ever-growing numbers to English-speaking countries. Educators have long believed that the successful English-learning experience of these students in their home countries will naturally lead to success in their academic studies and social life abroad. However, this may be not true. Using my English-learning experiences as a basis for research, in this article I explore the role of target-language improvement in adaptation to new environments. Based on a supportive sociocultural theory of second-language acquisition, the article provides recommendations for assisting international graduate students, especially those from East Asia, to enhance their academic performance and quality of life in Canada.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu-Wen Lan

Through 24 semi-structured interviews with non-native English-speaking (NNES) international graduate students, this study explores their academic English socialization experiences in Taiwan guided by Lave and Wenger’s (1991) community of practice framework and Lee and Rice’s (2007) concept of neo-racism. Throughout a complicated academic English socialization process, newcomers became increasingly competent in communicating with the university community in English. However, this process was not unproblematic; challenges included differential welcome and treatment, a relative lack of interaction with Taiwanese peers or students outside their own ethnic groups, and negative perceptions of their accents and non-fluent English. Findings suggest a need to stimulate deeper reflection on international students’ experiences in host communities, where they are increasingly the targets of nationality-based discrimination.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-59
Author(s):  
Xinxin Wang ◽  
Rebekah Freed

For the last decade, Chinese international graduate students (CIGS) have represented the largest portion of international graduate students in the United States. Previous research studies on language barriers and cultural differences have revealed that CIGS experience difficulties in adapting to the American educational system (Zhang-Wu, 2018). Few researchers have critically examined the experiences of CIGS on a more organizational level. In this qualitative study, we analyzed interviews with CIGS utilizing a Bourdieusian (1986a) framework to identify the social and cultural capital (SCC) that CIGS possessed. We argue that SCC concepts can help theoretically and critically examine the experiences of international students as a minority student group in the United States. The results from our in-depth semistructured interviews imply that CIGS are excluded from access to and possession of the SCC necessary to adapt to academic, cultural, and social life in the United States.


2013 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 117
Author(s):  
Sarah Mainich

From its earliest times, higher education transcended geographic boundaries so nowadays international students are a significant element of the social and cultural landscape of higher education, but international graduate students form a diverse group with different motivations for study and have become a sizeable segment of the student body in the Canadian higher educational system. However, this specific student population has not been completely understood and their diverse experiences have not been explained. This research paper deals with the issue of persistence among international graduate students enrolled at the Université de Montréal. Because the number of international graduate students has increased, strategic, social, and economic goals must be discussed. Hence, the purpose of this research is to develop a strong understanding of the factors influencing persistence and student success.  


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document