First-year International Students Research Articles

Methodological opportunities for international students acquiring content and language integrated learning in a contemporary educational environment

Russian Federation has consistently ranked among the top ten countries in the world for the number of international students enrolled in secondary and higher education institutions to pursue a specialization. In this context, one of the most crucial and pressing problems of Russian pedagogy is the high-quality education. The current system, however, does not adequately address this issue, as seen by the high number of first-year international students that are expelled each year for not comprehending certain concepts in Russian language. In this regard, the goal of the study was to identify the challenges that prohibit international students from receiving a successful education in Russian universities' junior programs and to devise solutions to these challenges. Monitoring studies were carried out with the help of international students enrolled in the RUDN University's first-year programs for bachelor's, master's, and speciality degrees in order to achieve this objective. The data acquired show that the system of pre-university education for international students has to be modernized in terms of both the Russian language and specific academic areas. Subject-language integration as a learning strategy has enormous methodological promise for raising standards and effectiveness. Content and language integrated learning has a lot of methodological promise for enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the current system. The author take into account and carefully analyze the technologies and guiding principles of this notion in relation to the duties of preparing international students for pre-university education. The theory and methodology of teaching the Russian language and specialized subjects in the Russian language to foreigners with a professional orientation are being developed by this research, which also helps to develop the conditions for maximizing the educational training of foreign students in Russian universities.

Distinguishing Oneself: First-Year International Students’ Pre-College Motivations and Expectations in a Sino-Foreign Joint-Venture University in China

China has shown increased engagement in International Higher Education (IHE), an interest motivated by a tremendous demand among both Chinese and international students. Conducted at a full-scale Sino-foreign joint-venture university (JVU) in China, this study seeks to explore the motivation of first-year international students for applying to and attending Sino-foreign JVU in China. A second related question investigates what they expect to experience prior to matriculation. Qualitative data collection and analyses suggest that international students at a Sino-foreign joint-venture university were motivated by a strong desire to distinguish themselves for integrative, international signaling, and instrumental purposes, and expect to change as a result of studying and living in an intercultural environment in China.

Dining Together: Social Networks With International and Domestic Students as Predictors of International Students’ College Success

ABSTRACT Prior research has explored how international students’ interactions with domestic students and with other international students predict their self-reported short-term outcomes, particularly in the context of the environmental challenges that international students may encounter. The present study builds upon this earlier work by using institutional data from dining hall meal swipe cards to measure interpersonal relationships and examine how these meal-indices from the first semester predict international students’ subsequent credits earned, grades, retention, and graduation. Within a sample of 1,634 first-year international students, the results indicate that social networks with international students and with domestic students both predict postsecondary success outcomes; the findings are even significant when based on dining hall data measured at the end of students’ first week of classes. The patterns vary somewhat across outcomes: meal-indices with both groups of students consistently predict international students’ chances of graduation, relationships with international students are more consistently related to retention, and relationships with domestic students are more often associated with college GPA and credits earned.

Can we buffer them? Supporting healthy levels of stress and anxiety in first year international students

First-year international tertiary students face numerous challenges, with the COVID-19 pandemic shifting many to online learning. These challenges can lead to higher than ideal stress and anxiety, negatively impacting mental health. Applying a ‘writing across curriculum’ approach this study examines whether a ‘writing in discipline’ intervention influences stress/anxiety for such students studying Tourism, Hospitality and Events in Australia. A modified DASS was administered to four cohorts during 2020 and 2021, and pre-post-tests conducted. The intervention helped buffer significant increases in stress, promoted skill development, and enhanced academic confidence. This scaffolded-learning approach is applicable at course/subject, degree, and university levels.

Language Testing and Certification in an International Context

Introduction. The aim of this research is to define what role continuous assessment plays in foreign language teaching. We analysed some of the most frequent communication and language mistakes by our research sample students in their written communications at the B2 level. We believe these correlations have yet to be closely studied in the context of the foreign language teaching process since there is a significant increase in the number of international students entering Slovak universities for programs implemented in the Slovak language. We also researched the current interest of our non-Slovak university students in verifying Slovak language competencies through ECL testing compared to the period before 2019 in correlation with their writing skills preparation. Materials and Methods. Our research sample included 200 randomly selected written communications by firstyear international students of our University in the period of 2019‒2022 in various fields of study at the age scale from 17 to 42. The students were from Russia, Serbia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Ukraine, and the Czech Republic. We applied content analysis of the written communications concerning the most frequent mistakes from the morphological, syntactic and writing-accuracy points of view. We also used statistical methods to research the current interest in verifying foreign language competencies through ECL testing on the side of our international students. Results. The results delivered that the most frequent errors are typographical, mainly related to spelling, punctuation and paraphrasing; therefore, we can claim that in the Slovak language learning, it is significantly beneficial to focus on formal correctness, i.e. consistent acquisition of the Slovak language grammar system. We also identified the sociolinguistic adequacy of written communication problematic, i.e. style, clear statements formulations, and adherence to the text composition. The results also demonstrated the increase in our international university studentsʼ interest in verifying foreign language competencies through ECL testing compared to the period before 2019. Discussion and Conclusion. From the results it follows that teaching writing skills intensively with a focus on particularly identified problematic issues in written communications increases the learnersʼ language acquisition level. This study presents results that may be useful in the targeted language preparation of the international students recruited to Slovak universities as their home universities and their further preparation for undertaking Slovak language proficiency official verification. In addition, the results of our study may contribute to the further development of general professional education in foreign languages.

Starting university during the pandemic: First-year international students' complex transitions under online and hybrid-learning conditions.

International education activities suddenly halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, severely disrupting student mobility and academic learning. Many educational institutions have delivered programs to students through digital devices globally rather than in situ. Such a shift presents a unique opportunity to assess the impact of online and hybrid education for international students. This qualitative study interviewed 30 international students who had arrived on campus and shared their first-year university transition experiences during the pandemic. The analysis shows that spatial and temporal circumstances created two scenarios and thus resulted in different first-year university experiences. Although all students were dissatisfied with online learning, studying at a distance in different time zones was particularly detrimental to international students' mental and physical health. The (im)mobile environments led to mismatches in expectations, roles, activities, and realities, negatively affecting student learning and adjustment. This study highlights the complex international transition issues and offers implications for sustainable online and hybrid-learning practices in the educational system.

Exploring the first-year experiences of international students in a multicultural institution in the United Arab Emirates

This study aimed to explore the factors reported by first-year international students which helped or hindered their experiences of transition to a multicultural higher education institution in the United Arab Emirates. Descriptive phenomenology was used to portray participants constructed and co-constructed views, formed through their individual and social experiences of transitioning to international higher education. Six focus group interviews were used to collect data from international students to access a wide variety of nationalities. The qualitative data were analyzed using an inductive approach. Three themes emerged as being significant to their transitional experiences: students' experiences of freshmen orientation, their academic experiences, and the institutional environment. Researching international students' experiences of transitioning to higher education in the United Arab Emirates, and even generally in the Middle East, constitutes an original context. The context of this study also offers originality because the international students are in the majority rather than the minority.

First-Year International Students and the Language of Indigenous Studies

We advocate for the inclusion of Indigenous studies within first-year writing and academic English courses, particularly those taught to multilingual, international students. We argue that asking international students to learn about local and international Indigenous issues productively intersects with coursework in academic English. Our pedagogical approach emphasizes metalanguage and allows Indigenous studies and explicit language instruction to work in tandem, thereby recognizing the agency of Indigenous scholars and guiding non-Indigenous students in relation to it.

An integrated reading-speaking task for first-year international students: Analysis of reading notes and oral protocols

An integrated reading-speaking task for first-year international students: Analysis of reading notes and oral protocols

Implicit theories of relating: A phenomenological investigation of first-year international students’ expectations for and experiences of connection

Exploring how international students conceive expectations for and experience their first year of college is vital for understanding their participation in their campus culture. This phenomenological study utilized in-depth interviews to investigate how first-year international students attending college in the United States reflected on conditions that enhanced and/or interfered with their sense of connection with their campus community. Findings suggest that international students expecting to grow through their social experiences sought opportunities to form relationships with peers across cultures, whereas students who felt burdened by their social expectations were less inclined to form diverse relationships. Interwoven with scholarship on implicit mindset theory and acculturation theory, the results from this study offer implications for academic advising, course design, and abroad studies programming.

Impact of Authentic Videos on Students’ Academic Presentation Skills, the Case of TED Talks and International Business Management Students in Ubon Ratchathani University

The teaching and learning of a second language is such a complex educational area that practitioners and teachers must continue to find better ways to help learners acquire the language faster and easier. Academic presentation skills and public speaking remains one of the most challenging areas of language acquisition and expression. This classroom study is designed to examine the impact of authentic videos (TEDTALKS) on students’ academic presentation skills. A participatory research approach (PAR) is used, and a group of 34 first-year international business students taking the course EAP is used as the sample for the study. Findings reveal that the introduction of authentic videos to the classroom had a significant influence on students’ presentation skills in several areas; introduction, confidence, speech patterns, non-verbal communication, presentation style, and even choice of words; Suggesting that exposing second language learners to authentic content of the target language could greatly contribute to their second language acquisition. This is so because such content bridges a part of the gap created by the limited exposure to the target language being acquired.

Designing Disorienting Dilemmas in an Online language and Culture Course

This design case follows the transformation of a language and culture course for first-year international students from face-to face to online. It focuses on creating and managing disorienting dilemmas in an online environment as students are given the opportunity to pursue transformative learning. Design decisions about creating community, course structure, and turning challenges into learning opportunities are investigated through an in-depth look at three weeks of the course. This design case explores the successes, challenges, dilemmas, and what I came to realize—as faculty and designer—through reflecting on the course and how it was transformed.

Students Starting University: Exploring Factors That Promote Success for First-Year International and Domestic Students

There are many factors that influence the first-year university student experience, and these factors can vary depending on student characteristics. In this research, using survey data, we explore differences between domestic Canadian and international (non-Canadian) first year university students across four categories that have been identified in past research. These categories broadly influence student success: individual factors, psychological needs, social relationships and connections to campus, and learning preferences and behaviors. Two hundred and seventy-two students (domestic: N = 185, international: N = 86) responded to quantitative individual difference items. International students reported greater drive, higher self-esteem, and placed greater importance on strong social networks, social life, and faith. Further, as compared to domestic first-year students, international students reported higher campus engagement, greater preferences for textbooks and online tutorials, being alone with their thoughts, higher confidence with their major choice, and reported studying more. Importantly, international students were less likely to feel they had a safe place to live in comparison to domestic students (all p < 0.05). These data show that international students come to campus with differential needs, styles, and experiences, which can inform approaches taken by institutions in supporting their students’ success.

The impact of project work on international students’ foreign (Ukrainian) language acquisition in high education

The paper concerns the project work during foreign language learning by international students in HEIs. There is the assumption that project work may influence positively international students' mastering a foreign (Ukrainian) language. The article aims to characterize the project activity and prove whether it can improve students' foreign language acquisition. The theoretical (analysis, generalization) and empirical (observation, testing, and experiment) methods were used. The experiment was conducted in which 32 first-year international students participated. Both the experimental (n=16) and control (n=16) groups were pre-tested and post-tested in September and December 2020 respectively. Students' skills in reading, writing, listening, speaking and use of language were checked. The data received before the experiment demonstrated almost a similar level of language acquisition in both groups. The results of the experiment pointed out improvement of the experimental group's members in every facet of the foreign language. The key points which impacted positively students' achievements were social-cultural topics meeting their interests, specially elaborated program of the project, and teachers' support. These findings proved the desirability of including project work in teaching HE foreign language courses for international students.

Studying Abroad from Home: An Exploration of International Graduate Students’ Perceptions and Experiences of Emergency Remote Teaching

The temporary shift from face-to-face instruction to online teaching at North American universities as an alternative solution in response to the COVID-19 pandemic brought significant challenges to international students who had to study abroad from their home countries. Studies on how international students perceive their study-abroad-from-home experiences in such an emergency remote teaching (ERT) context remain scarce. Through the lens of community of inquiry and an additional perspective of emotional presence, this study explored 13 first-year international graduate students’ perceptions and experiences of their learning in ERT. Based on the analyses of the pre-learning questionnaire survey results and a series of three reflection journal entries, the study finds that teaching presence has played a vital role in shaping students’ understanding and experiences when they participated in a study-abroad graduate program from their home countries. In addition, the participants demonstrated mixed emotions of both frustration and appreciation/thankfulness as well as an isolation–connectedness emotional trajectory during their learning process. The study inspires an exploration of more diverse options for international education programs and continued effort in providing institutional support to ensure better learning experiences in a post-COVID community of inquiry.

Survey of Indian Medical Students’ Adaptation in Kazakhstan: Psychological, Sociocultural, and Academic Dimensions

This study investigated international students’ adaptation experience in a higher education institution. A sociological survey was conducted among one hundred and seventy Indian students in their first and second year of medical studies at West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University, Aktobe, the Republic of Kazakhstan. Against the background of many studies in this field, this topic is contextualized within the higher medical education system in the western region of Kazakhstan. The study helps to improve understanding of such phenomena as international students’ dimensions of psychological, sociocultural, and academic adaptation. The differences in the various dimensions of adaptation from the gender perspective and the year of study were investigated. The impact of the adaptation level on the students’ study achievements was assessed. The study results demonstrated challenges in psychological adaptation in the first-year international students, which decreased over time. The differences in the psychological, sociocultural, and academic adaptability between girls and boys were not statistically significant. Second-year international students felt more emotionally comfortable and psychologically safe in the group, and this reflected their high grades GPA. Based on the findings, the authors propose recommendations on how to improve the international students’ comfortableness in the Kazakhstani university setting.

Authentic Social-Cultural Reading in Foreign Language Learning and Teaching

The paper concerns the use of authentic social-cultural reading materials in foreign language learning and teaching of international students. The study was started from the assumption that authentic materials allow international students to link mastering a foreign language and the real world since they meet learners’ needs and contribute to better social adaptation in a foreign country. The purpose of the article is to characterize the place and role of work with authentic social-cultural reading materials in foreign language learning and teaching of international students. The theoretical and mixed methods were used to achieve the purpose. The study was conducted with first-year international students of different faculties of SNAU. In the context of the mixed method both quantitative (numerical) data from questionnaire (in the middle of the semester) and qualitative (namely students’ comments, observation and analysis of students’ activity during foreign language classes, monitoring the students’ reaction to the use of authentic reading materials from different sources (printed mass media, TV, Internet) throughout the semester were gathered and processed to bring the results together in the overall interpretation. Conclusions: the outcomes demonstrate that international students consider authentic social-cultural reading worthwhile and see more potential advantages in work with them than constraints. International students support using different thematic materials from personal contexts (family life and habits) to public ones (country’s traditions and events). The benefits of using them also include a possibility for enhancing reading skills, acquisition of the language and reality of the foreign country, better students’ social adaptation, and motivation to learning.

The sociocultural ontogenesis of international students’ use of pragmatic strategies in ELF academic communication: Two contrasting case studies

Previous empirical studies have demonstrated that speakers of English as a lingua franca (ELF) display flexible use of various pragmatic strategies (PSs) to support effective communication. However, to date few studies have investigated PSs usage from the perspective of individual ELF speakers. Supported by a Vygotskian Sociocultural ontogenetic view on lingua franca pragmatics, this paper offers two qualitative case studies exploring the use of PSs by first-year international students as they navigated ELF-mediated group-work in a multilingual classroom at an internationalized university. Research questions include: a. what PSs did the students employ to facilitate effective ELF group-work? b. how might the students' enactments of PSs relate to their experiences of using ELF beyond this multilingual classroom? Analyses of classroom discourse data revealed distinct patterns of PSs usage: One participant's use of strategies was proactive-oriented in types and function, whereas for the other these strategies tended to be oriented toward remedying current communicative problems. Further ontogenetic analysis of interview data suggests that the differences between the two students' PSs deployment in classroom ELF academic interactions may be mediated by their contrasting prior ELF-related experiences and perceptions beyond the immediate classroom context. These findings indicate significant individual variation in speakers' pragmatic behaviors during ELF negotiations and point to the sociocultural-historical origins of lingua franca pragmatic competence.

Friendship Within and Across Borders

Establishing social networks can be extremely challenging when international students, particularly those of Color, move to a new academic and social environment. We examined first-year international students of Color perceptions of their social networks and how these networks affect their experiences at a predominantly White institution (PWI). This study illuminated participants' relationships with U.S. domestic students and the power of language, culture, and shared experiences through a longitudinal narrative inquiry. Implications for practice and recommendations for future research are described in-depth for practitioners.

Effect of Support from Lecturers and Host Country Nationals on Cross-Cultural Adjustment among International Students: Evidence from a Malaysian University

Pursuing higher education abroad is a golden opportunity for any student’s personal development; however, international students’ cross-cultural adjustment (CCA) can be onerous in a foreign country. The purpose of this study is to empirically examine the roles of perceived lecturer support and host country national (HCN) support in international students’ CCA in three dimensions, i.e. general, academic, and interaction. Adopting the purposive sampling technique, survey data was collected from a sample of 124 first-year international students in a Malaysian university. The results of the partial least squares structural equation modelling analysis showed that both perceived lecturer support and HCN support are influential in international students’ general, academic, and interaction adjustment. These findings suggest that higher education institutions should amplify the role of lecturers and HCNs to help international students adjust to the various cultural aspects in Malaysia. This study contributes to the literature by applying the anxiety and uncertainty management theory to validate the influence of support on CCA in the international student context.