International Student Transitions

Book excerpt: US higher education institutions host more than a million international students, many of whom speak English as a second language (ESL). As this number is projected to grow, it is vital that new curricular and non-curricular approaches to English language development are considered, including rigorous evaluation processes. This book introduces a framework to guide institutions in examining their views and beliefs regarding language acquisition and current approaches to international student success. It makes a distinction between a philosophy of support and a philosophy of development with a focus on the latter. It provides stakeholders with theoretical and practical foundations from which they can design, develop, and implement new models for students’ linguistic and cultural growth. Application of the framework will encourage institutions to examine support models that have been in place for decades and develop effective processes for generating innovative programming and practices aimed at helping international ESL students achieve their educational goals.