the Language Problem that International Students Face When They First Come to the USA and Do Not Know how to Speak English

the Language Problem that International Students Face When They First Come to the USA and Do Not Know how to Speak English

Addressing

the Language Problem that International Students Face When They First Come to the USA and Do Not Know how to Speak English

Student’s

Name

Institutional

Affiliation

Date

Addressing the language problem that international students face when they first come to the USA and do not know how to speak English

Problem statement

Language deficiency is one of the most significant problems facing international students in the United States. Most of the students that come to study in the United States are usually the brightest in their countries, and they are generally motivated to improve their lives. However, most of these students face significant challenges to the English language speaking since they lack a proper foundation of the language. For instance, Chinese students coming to the United States may have a problem with grammar because English is taught more through writing than through speaking. As a result, these students may have difficulties having sound conversations with others while it may also be difficult for them to understand and make jokes with their friends. International students often have problems concentrating in the classroom since it is difficult for them to take notes, understand lectures, writing papers, or taking part in class discussions. Such students may also feel that they are incompetent enough to participate in the classroom actively, and this could affect their performance negatively.

Relevance of the problem

Universities in the United States require international students to meet the minimum language proficiency while they lack adequate practice with verbal language use. A research carried out by Antanattis (1991), found that the main obstacle to the success of international students from Asian countries is language deficiency. Non-European students also experience significant challenges to their learning experience, including understanding lectures, taking notes in the classroom, giving and preparing oral reports, and even participating in class discussions. Jenkins, Jordan, and Weiland (1993) found that international students from Science and Engineering courses experienced difficulties in their thesis/dissertations, and approximately 25% of them were re-written by the faulty itself. A lack of understanding of the English grammar for international students often sees them looking up to their advisors for support in course selection.

A study conducted by Saleh (1980) revealed that most of the participants reported that they ended up taking courses that they did not like. This lack of freedom in course selection often causes academic stress to the students, and they end up performing poorly in the classroom.

Class participation, especially at the university level, is expected of the students. International students often suffer with regards to the instructional methods used in the classroom according to their culture. For instance, international students from Asia, the Middle East, and Africa have been taught to show respect to their teachers by sitting quietly and taking notes in the classroom. However, the case is different in the American system as students are allowed to eat and drink at the school while their active participation is required or is even part of the final grades. Cultural factors also affected students from the Asian region as they felt that they were not competent enough to participate in the classroom. A research conducted by Kao and Gansneder (1995), revealed that Asian students were less likely to participate in class discussions owing to cultural reasons.

Further research conducted by Parker (1999), revealed that some international students found it challenging to participate in the classroom because they felt uncomfortable asking repeated questions even if they did not quite understand the concept. Students from the Chinese and African cultures also acknowledged that they failed to actively participate in the classroom because they preferred to be good listeners. Others did not understand when they were supposed to use specific phrases, and this affected their overall performance relative to their native counterparts. International students also face problems in the American classroom because they lack adequate computer knowledge, which makes it difficult for them to participate in the classroom fully. The international students also lack an understanding of concepts in the classroom, which also makes it difficult for them to complete objective examinations in time. International students also face problems outside the classroom setting, which may negatively affect their overall academic performance. For instance, the lack of understanding of English vocabulary or slang makes it difficult for them to make friends with native students. Research conducted by Kuo (2011) revealed that international students found it challenging to fit in social places when they do not understand their peers. The lack of friends in the classroom makes it difficult for such students to fit in, and they may suffer from stress and homesickness that may negatively affect their performance in the classroom.

Possible solutions

While international students face problems adjusting to the American education system, there are various ways through which the universities can offer support. First, the schools should provide useful resources such as counselling services that will make it easier for the students to fit into the classroom sources. Such services can help students to learn how to make new friends so that they can reduce the social stress associated with distance (Wu, Garza and Guzman, 2015). Counselling services can also guide the students with regards to course selection so that they do not have to rely on an individual to select their course. The introduction of service centers at the school also holds myriad benefits for students in the international setting. Such include libraries where they can borrow books and the availability of a quiet place where they can study. The accessibility of writing centers is also a rich source of information for international students who utilize such resources to do their paper revision.

Schools should also offer language support services to international students so that they fit in the classroom. Writing centers, too, are essential when it comes to language practice in the United States. Such assistance could include the availability of practice exercises with tutors, which makes it easier for the students to learn without the fear of judgment (Sherry, Thomas, and Chui, 2010). Schools could also introduce English as a Second Language for international students since they provide them with an opportunity to improve their grammar and writing skills. Other language support services could also include orientation classes for international students so that they understand the changes that are expected once they attended American classrooms (Li, China). These act as opportunities for international students to interact so that they can have the freedom to use English without the fear of judgment.

The development of strategies that bridge international and US culture can reduce the isolation of students from other cultures. This can be facilitated by the development of

student associations that will help them to interact with other native students

(Sheila, Malawi). Other than reducing isolation from the American students, the

interactive strategies will help the students to improve their language and

communication skills and also adjust to the American culture.

Sources information

The primary research

came from conducting interviews with a variety of international students in my

schools. The study took a sample of 15 students from Asia and African

continents to determine the problems that they faced both in the classroom and

outside that negatively affected their performance. The interviews took twenty

minutes each, and they were conducted individually to give the students time to

discuss their challenges and their proposed solutions to them.

Secondary research was

also conducted through a review of literature on the subject. The sources were

selected based on the language, and only those that were written in the English

language were selected. Sources were also chosen from EBSCO host and Research

Gate as long as they were published within the last twenty years.

Benefits and drawbacks

of the solutions

School resources

The establishment of

school resources for international students will help them to improve their

language and communication skills.

• They will also help students to cope with the social stress that comes from homesickness and loneliness in the new environment.
• On the other hand, setting aside school resources for international students may be expensive since it may involve the construction of new buildings and acquiring relevant resources.
• Furthermore, it may be challenging to acquire qualified counsellors that can identify with an international background.

Language

support strategies

The introduction of

language support services enables individuals to improve their language and

communication skills.

• These resources will also allow students to interact with professional tutors who can help them to gauge their performance.
• On the negative side, the acquisition of expert tutors may be expensive for the school, depending on the number of international students.

Bridging international and the US culture

Strategies to bridge

the global and US culture bears benefits such as the understanding and

appreciation of the American culture by international students.

• Students will also be in a position to make new friends, which will reduce the social stress associated with loneliness.
• The establishment of strategies to bridge both international and American culture can be time-consuming, which reduces their effectiveness.

Recommendation(s)

I would recommend the

establishment of language support strategies.

Why do you make such

recommendation (s).

Language support

strategies have a myriad of benefits for international students, including the

ability of the students to do persona exercises on grammar that will help them

to improve their self-esteem and increase their participation in the classroom.

Language support is also beneficial to international students as they get to

interact with professional tutors who help them to gauge their performance and

therefore work towards improving their language.

References

Antanaitis, C. A.

(1991). Cultural variances as they affect classroom performance and behavior of

foreign graduate students in education.

Kao, C. W., &

Gansneder, B. (1995). An assessment of class participation by international

graduate students. Journal of

College Student Development.

Kuo, Y. H. (2011).

Language challenges faced by international graduate students in the United

States. Journal of International

Students, 1(2).

Parker, D. R. (1999).

Teaching, Learning, and Working with International Students: A Case Study.

Saleh, M. A. (1980). The

Personal, Social, and Academic Adjustment Problems Of Arab Students At Selected

Texas Institutions Of Higher Education.

Sherry, M., Thomas, P.,

& Chui, W. H. (2010). International students: A vulnerable student

population. Higher education, 60(1), 33-46.

Wu, H. P., Garza, E.,

& Guzman, N. (2015). International student’s challenge and adjustment to

college. Education Research

International, 2015.