International Spouses’ Goals and Investment in Language Learning Programs

International spouses, individuals who accompany a partner studying in a foreign country, are an important source of support for international students and scholars, yet many academic institutions overlook this population. Research indicates that many international spouses benefit from joining language programs; however, there has been no research on how to design such programs to support international spouses. By drawing on the theoretical constructs of investment (Darvin & Norton, 2015) and capital (Bourdieu, 1986), this study investigates the goals of international spouses, the relationship between these goals and English proficiency, and how international spouses perceived the language resources available to them. Semi-structured interviews with 15 (8 female, 7 male) international spouses in the U.S. revealed that the participants viewed English as relevant to their professional, social, and cultural goals, and that various factors influenced which ESL programs they joined. This study concludes with recommendations for designing programs to support international spouses.