The Problems of Linguistic and Academic Adaptation of International Students in Russia

Abstract

Introduction. In the context of internationalization of higher education, attracting students from abroad is considered a tool for strengthening the country’s positions in the world’s educational space. The paper addresses the issue of linguistic and academic adaptation of international students in Russia. International students tend to experience difficulties when adapting to a new/different socio-cultural environment. The relevance of the article is determined by strengthening of integration processes, international relations, competing trends between higher education systems in the world. Materials and Methods. The quantitative research into barriers to the linguistic and academic adaptation of international students in Novosibirsk universities, conducted by the authors in April 2018, is presented. The survey of international students (N = 310) in Novosibirsk universities identified the main barriers to linguistic and academic adaptation. The survey had been created online through an Internet-based survey application Google Forms. The authors employed general scientific methods and the sociological method while conducting research. Results. We studied two groups of students. Group 1 included students from post-Soviet countries (N1 = 256) and group 2 included students from other countries (beyond post-Soviet countries) (N2 = 54). International students are experiencing difficulties. There are common problems for all international students in academic adaptation: low general educational level; weak training in core disciplines and special subjects; the difference between forms and methods of teaching in a Russian university from the forms and methods of instruction in domestic the higher education institution. The main barrier to the successful adaptation of international students is the language barrier which affects the academic barrier. Most international students who do not speak Russian are not able to fully comprehend lectures and understand other educational materials. International students need to quickly master the language, adapt to a learning system and fit into another culture in order to successfully learn. Local and regional programs should be developed to support international students to effectively involve them in a new environment. The research results demonstrate a positive impact of socialization on adaptation. Discussion and Conclusion. Analysis of Russian and international studies of linguistic and academic adaptation shows that the most effective ways to overcome the adaptation difficulties include orientation programs as domestic supplementary educational programs, refresher courses for teaching staff involved in training international students, and a set of socializing services for international students. The goals are to study psychological, intercultural, social problems of adaptation of international students in Russia. The results of the research presented in the article will aid in the organization of training of international students at the university. The article can be useful for teaching staff and managers of Russian universities and international researchers. The obtained results contribute to the development of theoretical and methodological base for studying the problems of international students adaptation.