The role of language and culture in postgraduate international students’ academic adjustment and academic success: qualitative insights from Malaysia

Jasvir Kaur Nachatar Singh, Gavin Jack

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

21 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

How do language and culture pose adjustment challenges that hinder the academic success of postgraduate international students? This article answers this question based on a thematic analysis of 55 semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted with postgraduate international students and academic and professional staff members at a Malaysian research-intensive public university. The results show that language and culture are influential in a range of academic (language, supervision, research training) and social (group work, friendship) adjustment challenges. The analysis highlights how these challenges hinder academic success as a result of limited or frustrated pathways for students’ linguacultural development. We conclude that future academic research and university policy to support postgraduate international students may pay greater attention to cross-cultural, linguistic, and linguacultural issues.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)444-466
Number of pages23
JournalJournal of International Students
Volume12
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

Keywords

  • academic success
  • adjustment
  • culture
  • international students
  • language
  • linguaculture
  • Malaysia
  • postgraduate

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