A Retrospective Phenomenological Study on the Language Challenges Faced by Turkish Graduate Students at U.S. Universities

Abstract

Turkey has always been among the top European countries that have sent the highest number of students to the U.S. This study aims to investigate the language incompetency and language-related challenges faced by Turkish graduate students studying at US universities with scholarship status. For this purpose, the phenomenological research method was used, and 13 participants were selected for the sample. After the interviews, the findings were coded, classified as themes, and evaluated. The study findings show that the students have speaking and listening problems, have difficulty understanding different accents, and have problems understanding concepts related to their studies' field in their departments. Learning English through exam-oriented strategy, unrealistic expectations of the students about learning English in the U.S., and the lack of social environment where the students can be exposed to English in Turkey have been identified as the main themes leading the students to experience language incompetency in their departments. The findings also show that it is not sufficient to overcome the language deficiency of the students due to the time restriction of language education abroad. Also, the pedagogy of the U.S. educational system and cultural barriers have emerged as other areas of challenge that intersect with language inadequacy. The students selected through competitive exams throughout Turkey are expected to have high self-confidence. However, it has been determined that the students experience a loss of self-confidence, especially in their first two semesters, due to language inadequacy and pedagogical and cultural differences. The findings of this study provide information to English education centers, Turkish Scholarship Program, students, counselors, and advisors in Turkey and the US.