In-Between Spaces: Understanding the Linguistic Struggles and Strategies of International College Students

• In Event: AERA Graduate Student Research-in-Progress Session 5
  In Roundtable Session: International Students' Experiences in U.S. Postsecondary Institutions: Understanding Acculturation and Peer Effects (Table 2)

Abstract

International College Students (ICSs) represent one major subgroup in struggling adult readers due to their lack of English proficiency. To minimize the struggle, they, willingly or not, adjust their linguistic outputs to meet the academic needs and social life. Through language socialization, language learners can begin to learn how language works in a particular context. Thus, understanding how ICSs adjust to their host culture is crucial to providing necessary support to them. We developed the Acculturation Survey for International College Students (ASICS) to investigate these issues. 52 ICSs studying in the U.S. completed the survey and preliminary analysis showed the lack of vocabulary and prior knowledge in English and the associated cultures the two biggest obstacles for academic success.

Author

• Eleanor Fang Yan, Georgia State University