Intercultural Transitions in Higher Education

Alina Schartner is Lecturer in Applied Linguistics in the School of Education, Communication and Language Science at Newcastle University. Tony Young is Reader in Applied Linguistics and Communication at Newcastle University in the north of England

• Acknowledgements Part AChapter 1: IntroductionChapter 2: The current state of knowledge about the ‘international student experience’Chapter 3: Methodology Part BChapter 4: Academic adjustment and adaptationChapter 5: Psychological adjustment and adaptationChapter 6: Sociocultural adjustment and adaptation Chapter 7: Associations between adjustment domains Chapter 8: Retrospectives on the international student experiencePart CChapter 9: Conclusions Chapter 10: Implications

Empirical and theoretical information bearing upon the large numbers of students who enroll in higher-education programmes abroad is combined here with many personal observations from students themselves. A particular strength is the association revealed among the psychological, sociocultural and academic adjustments that accompany overseas scholarship. At the core of the book is a longitudinal study of some 300 international students at a British university, a study that involves both quantitative and qualitative assessment. Retrospective comments of students who have completed their degrees are also presented here, as are descriptions of, and recommendations for, host institutions. The result is a rich interdisciplinary investigation of student motivations and adaptations.