Abstract
This article reports a multiple case study to explore the lived academic acculturation experiences of four Chinese international students with limited oral English capacity and how they describe the relationship between low oral English proficiency and academic acculturation. Self-Determination Theory was utilized as the theoretical framework to inform data collection and analysis. Findings indicated all four Chinese students experienced significant psychological stress during their academic acculturation as a direct result of their limited spoken English capacity, which negatively impacted their sense of competence, autonomy and particularly relatedness. Emotional pain, involuntary isolation, helplessness, and regret emerged as the salient themes from the cross-case analysis. Implications for various stakeholders are discussed.
Highlights
Situated within an increasing trend of globalization and internationalization, it is common practice for students from all over the world to seek post-secondary studies overseas and for universities to actively recruit international students
We identified multiple case study as an effective method for developing understanding of the academic acculturation experiences of Chinese international students with low oral English proficiency
We report the themes that emerged in the cross-case analysis, highlighting the academic acculturation patterns across all four cases
Summary
Situated within an increasing trend of globalization and internationalization, it is common practice for students from all over the world to seek post-secondary studies overseas and for universities to actively recruit international students. The potential benefits for international students are significant, including more diverse education opportunities, rich personal experiences, and enhanced possibilities for post-graduation employment (Elliot, Reid, & Baumfield, 2016). In an extensive review of the literature addressing the academic acculturation experiences of international students, Smith and Khawaja (2011) revealed that common acculturative stressors encountered by international students include language proficiency, discrimination, educational and sociocultural differences, and practical stressors. An earlier review by Chen (1999), focusing on international students enrolled in postsecondary studies in Canada and the United States, indicated that among all the common acculturative stressors international students encountered, language proficiency was salient, because it interacted with other stressors in both academic and non-academic settings. Many of the transition challenges that international students experience while
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