Multilingual Identity Development of International Students and the Culturally Engaging Nature of their Learning Environment

Abstract

Those who choose to pursue international education can be viewed as cultural ambassadors, ones who can play meaningful roles in bridging the gaps that divide us if they are afforded supportive, inclusive, and identity affirming learning experiences during their formative college years. However, the cultural and linguistic knowledge and global perspectives that many of these students bring to their campuses seem to be undervalued, overlooked, or misunderstood by domestic students, instructors, and community members. Research has also indicated that many international students who study in the U.S. higher education system struggle to adjust to the academic, social, cultural, and linguistic norms upheld by their host institutions. This thematically-linked three-paper dissertation aims to address these issues by critically examining international student experiences and institutional barriers that this population faces within a specific U.S. university context from individual, classroom, and institutional levels. The first study is a longitudinal case study focusing on the multilingual identity development of three Korean international graduate students. The second study is a multiple case study analysis of faculty and administrative leaders’ beliefs and attitudes concerning support for international students and the culturally engaging nature of their campus. The final study utilizes a survey to explore the racial, linguistic, social, and cultural dynamics of a higher education institution from international student perspectives. The studies revealed that Korean graduate students experienced numerous instances of marginalization in academic and social settings because of social status and language characteristics. Critical views of faculty members and student affairs professionals showed that, for decades, international students in the study’s context have been othered academically and socially, and their linguistic and cultural identities are often ignored or underappreciated. The survey results indicated that self-reported language experiences are a predictor of marginalization, overall satisfaction, and satisfaction with interacting with domestic students, and that previous education is a predictor of perceptions of mainstream racial and immigration related ideologies. These findings from this research indicate a need to internationalize closeminded curricula and pedagogical approaches, to create structured opportunities for positive intercultural exchange and understanding, and to foster a commitment among all campus stakeholders to embrace their roles in realizing a more identity-affirming culturally engaging learning environment.