Abstract
Abstract The number of international students arriving in Canada is increasing annually, with students from China accounting for the highest number. Grounded in sociocultural theories of second language learning, identity, investment and Community of Practice (CoP), this paper presents selected findings from a narrative study investigating the experiences of Chinese international students preparing for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) tests in Canada. Based on their own accounts of English learning before and after coming to Vancouver, this paper finds that the participants recognized the capital and power of English and foreign qualifications, and regarded international education as a sanctuary from examinations in China. By comparing their current learning in different settings, they expressed confusion about engaging/disengaging in different communities, and about their past expectations, current experiences as well as future possibilities. This paper hopes to draw the attention of stakeholders (institutions and test issuing organizations) to the more nuanced challenges that international students encounter so that better support can be provided to international students learning English for academic purposes.
Highlights
The pursuit of international education and the internationalization of higher education have become a significant element of Canadian higher education (The Canadian Bureau for International Education, 2013)
While the literature on second-language acquisition in relation to issues of identity and investment (Norton, 2010; Norton & Toohey, 2011; Zuengler & Miller, 2006), and the relationship between the language learner and the larger social world (Heller, 2007; Kanno, 2008; Toohey, 2000) is gaining momentum, little research has been conducted on the learning experiences of international students as they prepare for English proficiency tests to enter postsecondary institutions in host countries
Research on international student experience identifies language learning as a major challenge for international students in academic settings (CBIE, 2009, 2013; Feast, 2002; Montgomery, 2010; Sawir, 2005; Singh, 2005) despite the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or TOEFL scores these students gained as a requirement for entering the university
Summary
The pursuit of international education and the internationalization of higher education have become a significant element of Canadian higher education (The Canadian Bureau for International Education, 2013). Grounded in sociocultural theories of second language learning, the English learning and IELTS preparation experiences of three Chinese international students in Canada will be presented and discussed. In recording the lived learning experiences of Chinese international students in English speaking countries, all these narrative studies showed that English language proficiency (social and academic) was very challenging and triggered problems in academic studies, communication, socialization, and identity issues.
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