One of the major challenges for international students to pursue academic goals in the United States is English language proficiency, which often negatively affects academic success. Even students with confidence in their English language proficiency encounter challenges using English in class. Previous research indicates self-efficacy positively…

This study examines the presence of Chinese students in U.S., and attempts to explore the reasons why so many Chinese students choose to study abroad and why the United States is their preferred destination. This population is a vital component of university life at many colleges and a much needed source of financial revenue. The results indicate…

Surface approaches to learning materials and tasks are a commonplace challenge to teachers, and they prove difficult to shift, even among students who are otherwise talented or motivated to learn. The present study investigates a theory that surface approaches are triggered by a suboptimal, aversive response to learning stimuli, which overrides…

In this study, we explored the relationship between self-construals, self-esteem, social support, and the sociocultural adaptation of African students in Northern Cyprus. Based on the responses received from 112 students from Sub-Saharan Africa studying in Northern Cyprus, the results indicated that only the interdependent self-construal and…

Few studies have provided an examination of the academic component of acculturation. This study sought to extend the work in this area by examining factors impacting academic adjustment of international students in the US and compare results to factors of psychological adjustment. Predictors of academic adjustment were investigated with a sample…

This paper reports on the implementation of Japanese extensive reading with international students studying at a Japanese university using graded readers (GRs). GRs chosen for the present study were simplified versions of original Japanese literature and were used to support students in acquiring a top-down reading strategy, a wide range of…

The purpose of this study is to explore international students' study anxiety in a mid-sized public four-year university in Southeast Texas by comparing their existing study anxiety along lines of nationality, gender, age, major, degree, and stage of education. The subjects were selected using a convenience sample during the Spring of 2013. The…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of Malaysian public universities' service quality on international student satisfaction, institutional image and loyalty. Design/methodology/approach: A total number of 400 questionnaires were distributed to international students, selected using convenience sampling technique, at…

The proportion of first-generation international students at US institutions ranges from one-tenth to one-half of the total international student body. First-generation status is an underexplored, and potentially significant, demographic factor in international students' adaptation to college. Researchers used structural equation modelling (SEM)…

We examined the predictors of psychological adaptation regarding subjective well-being and loneliness among international students. The sample included 243 Cape Verdean students attending Portuguese universities, and the control group was composed by 265 native-born Portuguese students. The latter group reported higher levels of well-being and…

The population of international students continues to grow in the U.S. colleges and universities against the backdrop of internationalization; so do the studies on their academic and social experience as well as predicaments and concerns. However, most of the research has approached these issues from the perspectives of institutions and students,…

In this study we compare test takers' performance on the Speaking section of the TOEFL iBT™and their performances during their real-life academic studies. Thirty international graduate students from mixed language backgrounds in two different disciplines (Sciences and Social Sciences) responded to two independent and four integrated speaking tasks…

There is no evidence in the literature for direct comparison of the sociocultural adaptation brought by the participation of U.S. students in education abroad programs of different lengths. This study attempts to address this gap by comparing the sociocultural adaptation of education abroad students that results from their participation in both…

In keeping with the trend to elicit multiple stakeholder responses to operational tests as part of test validation, this exploratory mixed methods study examines test-taker accounts of an Internet-based (i.e., computer-administered) test in the high-stakes context of proficiency testing for university admission. In 2013, as language testing…

Numerous studies have examined international students' adjustment problems, yet, these studies have not explored the mechanisms through which social support operates in the context of stressful events in predicting cross-cultural adjustment among international students. Using Barrera's (1988) models of social support, the present study…