This presentation reports on how EAL students adjust to using a second language, in a new socio-culture, and in an unfamiliar higher educational New Zealand institution. It advocates for these students’ capability and autonomous life skills, and how second language use may impact positively on EAL students’ academic success.
Meeting the needs of English as an additional language (EAL) students at higher educational institutions (HEI) is especially important with the increased influx of students from all over the globe into HEIs (which in New Zealand has now reached a multi-billion dollar source of income) followed by increased vulnerability if student numbers drop. There is no doubt that these students face adjustment challenges which need to be attended to. This presentation is based on theories in a qualitative longitudinal study, at a HEI in New Zealand on how EAL students adjust to using a new language, in a different educational system, and in a new socio-culture. The main theories were around socio-culture, non-deficit views of students, and HEI environments, by Devlin, mutual adjustment and EAL student self-formation, by Marginson, and the dialogical pedagogic model for mutual adaptation, by Tran. The presentation also covers intercultural competence by Kim, L2 identity development by Benson et. al., and internationalization at HEIs by De Wit and Jones & Knight. The findings show that EAL students often are capable, self-forming, autonomous, active agents, in charge of their own lives, and their autonomy and second language use may impact positively on EAL students’ academic success. Moreover, staff and learners are generally aware of a range of adjustment issues. An analysis of the reasons for the challenges revealed that there are typically two types; either caused by individual learners, or by the teaching and learning inherited from the prevailing pedagogic approach by the institution. The presentation suggests acknowledging the positive results of EAL students' study efforts, and seeing student challenges in relation to the pedagogy, to heighten awareness of the necessity of mutual adjustment, by both students and HEIs. This will optimally lead to more successful students, in a more student-centered teaching and learning environment.
