The Lived Experience of Chinese International Students in the U.S.: An Academic Journey

This book marks a departure from traditional assumptions concerning the deficiencies of Chinese international students in terms of learning and adapting. It employs phenomenological narrative inquiry and a small culture approach to investigate the evolved, fluid experience of pursuing a graduate degree in the U.S. at Blue Fountain University (a pseudonym for a mid-western university).

Adopting an interdisciplinary perspective, this book addresses two fundamental questions: What study abroad is and what study abroad counts? The sociocultural dimensions that shape the cross-border degree seeking endeavors inform stakeholders what works for Chinese international students’ successful pursuits as EFL learners and ESL users and what could be improved. This book shares thoughts on the implications and impact of educational contexts to stakeholders at normal and dynamic contexts interrupted by global pandemic outbreak. It contributes to the understanding of the internationalization of the host institute and the EFL education reform efforts (policy making, teacher education, and classroom practice) in China (and in Asia at large).

Yalun Zhou, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the Department of Communication and Media, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA. She has an interdisciplinary background in applied linguistics. Her research involves the learning, teaching, and use of Chinese and English in various settings, social contexts, and environments (traditional and cognitive immersive with Artificial Intelligence). Besides teaching and researching, she is also involved in language curriculum design, instructional integration of language learning and immerging technology, and language teacher training.

Michael Wei, Ph.D., is a full professor and TESOL Program Director at the School of Education, University of Missouri-Kansas City, USA. He is the co-editor of Applied Linguistics for Teachers of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners. His research interests include English phonetics, reading English as a second language, literacy, learning environments, and learning English to native-like proficiency.