International students as language managers

Abstract Many studies have reported language problems faced by international students in cross-cultural study-abroad settings. The present study investigated Chinese international students’ linguistic insecurity during their study-abroad in Australia, and the strategies that they deployed to manage this. Based on interviews with ten students from two different international programs, we found that the students felt anxious and insecure about their language ability in the English-only environment, which provided limited support for their academic and social survival. Moreover, their other linguistic resources remained unrecognized in the prevailing discourse of standardized English with its concomitant linguistic and social prejudices. Realizing that linguistic insecurity was affecting their study, life, and wellbeing, they implemented a series of measures and strategies to manage their language problems and achieve a sense of linguistic security. The findings can assist international students in developing an understanding of their language life in study-abroad settings, and education institutions in providing appropriate support to international students to enhance their linguistic security in the host society.