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2019 Annual Conference

October 8–11, 2019

St. Louis, MO

Attitudes of Non-Native English-Speaking Graduate Students Regarding Academic Success in a US Graduate School

Thursday, October 10, 2019 at 8:00 AM–8:45 AM CDT
Grand DE
Select the FIRST area in which your presentation best fits.

CPAE CoConference: Research & Theory

Presentation Format Requested

Roundtable (45 minutes)

Session Abstract

This presentation aims to understand the perceptions and attitudes of non-native English-speaking graduate students regarding their academic success. During the session, the presenters will try to uncover the greatest barriers which non-native English-speaking students may face while enrolled in a US graduate school.

Target Audience

This presentation is specifically aimed at professionals in charge of academic courses in an international or mixed classroom setting, where it will be important to take into consideration the perspectives and difficulties non-native English-speaking students face. It will be useful to those adult education instructors who have had little chance to participate in such classrooms, but also to those who have already had an opportunity to test their expertise in dealing with a mixed language level class. The focus will be on the language barriers which might stress non-native English-speaking students and the impact of language on academic success.

Learning Outcomes

The change in demographics, not only in the United States, but all over the world, has sparked the issue of accommodating non-native English-speaking students and providing them academic support. Rising numbers of non-native English-speaking students in American classrooms have made this a question of importance for all adult education instructors. This presentation will reveal thoughts, experiences, and perceptions of first year non-native English-speaking graduate students and try to uncover the greatest barriers these students face in the classroom. Our primary aim is to draw educators’ attention to the students’ perceptions in order to start overcoming the barriers.

Session Description

Considering the number of non-native English-speaking graduate students in American universities, the question arises about language competencies needed for success and retention in their academic programs. Data collected from individual face-to-face interviews will help us understand nuances in the perceptions of non-native English-speaking students in the Southern United States related to their academic success in the US. The findings should be of use to graduate schools and other educational institutions and their faculty, who could gain knowledge helpful for modifying the curricula for current and new international students.

The importance of this presentation comes from involving first year non-native English-speaking graduate students as those who might be facing the greatest barriers due to a possible lack of experience with the academic setting in the US. The participants’ attitudes and perceptions which will be presented align with data from previous studies of the topic, but also provide new data which could influence future research as well as policy and practice. It is evident that non-native English-speaking students need more support from their professors. In addition to this, the data show that diversity should be reflected by policies and curricula.

Format & Technique

This will be an interactive presentation during which the participants will have a chance to hear about the experience and thoughts of non-native English-speaking students. Moreover, the participants will get the opportunity to share their own experiences related to working with non-native English-speaking students. For those who have not encountered this situation, the presentation will be even more valuable, as they will have a chance to share their ideas and thoughts of what the challenges of working with non-native English speakers might be, how to enable their academic success and keep them in classes when faced with language barriers.

Primary Presenter

Maja Stojanovic, Louisiana State University (LSU)
Work Title

Graduate Student and Graduate Research Assistant

Additional Presenters

Dr. Petra A Robinson, PhD, Louisiana State University (LSU)
Work Title

Associate Professor

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