Learning at Half Capacity: The Academic Acculturation Reality Experienced by Chinese International Students

Introduction

International student mobility is among the most prominent twenty-first century phenomena that higher education systems experience all around the world (Beech, 2019; Knight, 2012). Many Canadian universities are increasing international student enrollment to cope with challenges presented by the internationalization of Canadian higher education and to enhance their fiscal revenue and global prestige (Zhang & Beck, 2014). However, with the student population in Canadian universities becoming increasingly diversified, acculturation problems faced by international students have become critical, requiring more attention from Canadian higher education policy makers (Du, 2019). Tailoring infrastructure and services to better support international students’ successful academic acculturation has become a vital task for many Canadian higher education stakeholders (Du, 2019).

In Canada, enrolment of post-secondary international students was 435,415 in 2018—a 17% jump from 2017 (Canadian Bureau for International Education, 2019). The potential benefits for both host institutions and international students are substantial (Elliot, Reid, & Baumfield, 2016). The surge in international student enrollment provides institutions with economic advantages, a more internationalized campus, and a more global institutional impact (Zhang & Beck, 2014). Meanwhile, international students can benefit from better educational opportunities, enriched personal growth, and more promising employment prospects (Elliot, Reid, & Baumfield, 2016). However, international students can also encounter significant challenges (Carter, 2016; Du, 2019).

Acculturating into a foreign academic setting as an international student is a stressful process (Smith & Khawaja, 2011). Helping students acculturate successfully into a new academic setting has a significant impact on their subsequent overseas learning experiences (Xing, Bolden, & Hogenkamp, 2019). Studies have consistently demonstrated that international students are psychologically vulnerable during their academic acculturation (e.g., Aubrey, 1991; Gao, 2019; Smith & Khawaja, 2011). International students encounter a range of academic acculturation stressors including language challenges, educational and social differences, discrimination, and practical stressors (Smith & Khawaja, 2011). The interaction of these stressors often leads to harsh international academic acculturation experiences for international students on Canadian university campuses (Du, 2019; Xing & Bolden, 2019). The challenges of academic acculturation not only contribute to mental health crises, but also raise concerns around equity and inclusion that tax university administrators and faculty (Choy & Alon, 2019; Tannock, 2018).