An emic perspective on academic writing difficulties among international graduate students in Malaysia
The number of international graduate students choosing Malaysia as their destination of study is increasing. These students arrive to Malaysian shores with diverse academic, cultural and linguistic background with the intention of upgrading their academic qualification especially at graduate leve...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
2016
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| Online Access: | http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10163/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10163/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10163/1/12329-45004-1-PB.pdf |
| Summary: | The number of international graduate students choosing Malaysia as their destination of study
is increasing. These students arrive to Malaysian shores with diverse academic, cultural and
linguistic background with the intention of upgrading their academic qualification especially
at graduate level. The students are confronted with a mismatch between the literacy practices
in their native country and at graduate level currently. This leads to challenges in adapting to
the current academic writing practices at graduate level. Academic writing is a productive
skill that is pivotal to ensure academic success. However, students for whom English is a
foreign language struggle in writing various sections of academic work at graduate level such
as the methodology and discussion sections. This qualitative study focuses on academic
writing difficulties faced by the non-native English speaking international graduate students
while pursuing their Master’s degree at a public university in Malaysia. Focus group
interview was used on 70 international graduate students from taught Master programs to
elicit qualitative data. The main objective of the focus group interviews was to analyze how
these students negotiate academic writing from an emic perspective. Through this approach,
the students were able to share their own experiences of struggling with academic writing
practices in higher education. The findings indicate that non-native English speaking
international graduate students faced difficulties coping with academic writing especially in
English as a medium of instruction setting. This study highlights the need of host institutions
in providing academic support to improve the most crucial literacy skill that contributes to
academic success at graduate level. |
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