International Students’ Experiences: Examining their Sociocultural Adjustment Kelly Torres, Ph.D.

International Students International students decide to travel abroad for their academic studies for a variety of reasons which may include: Their perceptions that a certain university is more reputable Their pursuit of knowledge and skills related to a particular field of study The United States experienced a record breaking number of international enrollments during the 2013-2014 academic year 4% of American university enrollment during this timeframe included international students The United States had higher percentages of international enrollments in comparison to other countries The majority of international enrollments included students from China, India, and Korea

Sociocultural Adjustment Individuals who move to different geographic areas may need to adjust to their new surroundings in order to function successfully Sociocultural denotes cross-cultural factors and one’s behavior The larger the distance between two cultures the greater the difficulty students may have adjusting to their host country’s culture

Research Questions How do international students perceive their American academic studies? How does international students’ English language development impact their academic studies? How do international students’ cultural beliefs and values change as a result of their academic studies in the U.S.?

Participants 80 students Majority were female (n=62) and were completing graduate-level coursework (n=65) Majority (n=58) were from Asian nations: 1) Chinese (n=52), 2) Korean (n=5), and 3) Japanese (n=1) Non-Asian participants encompassed the following ethnicities in descending order: Hispanic/ Latino/Latina (n=9), Arabic (n=5), Italian (n=3), Turkish (n=3), French (n=1), German (n=1)

Data Collection Methods Surveys: Online, open-ended which focused on participants’: English language learning experiences prior to moving to the United States (e.g., number of years of study, focus of study – grammar vs. speaking) Intended use of English in the future (e.g., additional academic study, career) Perceptions of their “identity” since their arrival to the United States Opinions of their life in the United States Interviews: Participants completed an in-depth, semi-structured interview session in English Average duration for each interview was 30 minutes Interview questions were focused on participants’: English language learning experiences Use of English and their native languages in the United States Perceptions of their cultural background and how their cultural beliefs have or have not changed since their arrival to the United States

Data Analysis Survey results provided descriptive and demographic information Interview data included an inductive analysis approach Data was used to find a phenomenon and potential relationships among data coded into categories All data was aggregated, coded, similar codes were grouped into categories, and then category characteristics were compared and contrasted to identify potential relationships

Findings There were several major themes found among participants: Benefits of International Study Impact of Prior English Learning Experiences Cultural Changes Themes provided a better understanding of international students’ motivations to study abroad, their English language experiences, and the cultural changes they experienced in the United States

Findings – Benefits of International Study Participants (n=70) expressed that they decided to study in the United States because they perceived the universities/colleges to be better and believed it would provide them a competitive advantage with employment Example: “In my native country you can easily get a job with an American degree.” Another common motivation expressed by participants was to learn more about the “American lifestyle” than they had seen on television and movies

Findings – Impact of Prior English Learning Education Majority (n=65) of participants had experienced prior mandatory and formal educational experiences with English language classes Most participants (n=60) shared that their prior English learning experiences were more simple than the complex academic language experienced in their current area of study (e.g., no prior knowledge of terms associated with applied linguistics, statistics, curriculum development) A common experience among Asian students was previously learning British English which resulted in frequent spelling errors in their course assignments (e.g., colour)

Findings – Cultural Changes Participants shared that they had adjusted to numerous cultural changes since their arrival to the United States Example: Multiple participants (n=18) reported never owning a car in their native countries stated they needed to purchase one in America since everything is “so spread out.” Some participants stated that they were not accustomed to American food which resulted in them over-eating and gaining weight Example: “I gained 10 pounds during my first two weeks here.” Many participants shared that Americans smiled more often than they were accustomed to in their native countries Americans were more “sociable” which could be confusing Example: A participant shared that he did not understand why Americans asked “how he is doing” if they do not really want a detailed response.

Discussion As university/college campuses continuously become more diverse, more attention needs to be placed on how to accommodate the needs of all students One approach that institutions of higher education can use to help these learners adjust is to incorporate more social events that are inclusive of all students Our study found that international students experienced fewer social opportunities to interact with domestic students Although the participants in the study expressed that they had moved to the U.S. to receive an “American educational experience,” they were more likely to participate in student organizations that encompassed students of their own native backgrounds or befriend other students with similar ethnic backgrounds and native languages Participants expressed that they often felt “more comfortable” interacting with others from similar language and cultural backgrounds since they had experienced culture shock during their stay and a longing for their families and native countries

Scholarly Significance Ng and Smith (2012) proclaimed that although international students may be considered a heterogeneous group with varied cultural backgrounds there is some level of distinction between the cultures of their host and native countries Institutions of higher education may need to help international students adjust to their new cultural surroundings and classroom expectations By universities/colleges understanding the unique needs of international students, they are able to more effectively create positive learning environments and enhance the levels of all students’ intercultural competence to interact in a socio-culturally diverse, international, educational environment