Publication Date

2025

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Trini Stickle, Daniel Keller, Mark McAndrews

Degree Program

Department of English

Degree Type

Master of Arts

Abstract

States who come from non-English speaking countries face linguistic difficulties that hinder both their comprehension and academic progress. These difficulties create communication barriers, often hindering their classroom success and social interactions. These difficulties are often exacerbated by linguistic features that are opaque in their linguistic-semantic interface, to borrow a concept from Generative Syntax, see Partee, 2014). One such English language feature is the phrasal verb—a two-part construction of a verb and particle the combination of which creates its own meaning (e.g., throw up equals vomit). While international students must achieve a language proficiency score on standardized tests, these scores, however high, do not ensure that the students’ ability to comprehend such common constructions. They do not prevent significant language challenges once they arrive on an English-speaking campus in the US. Students are required to understand classroom interaction and other communications no matter how good their test scores (TOEFL/IELTS/GRE) (Kuo, 2001), even when those tests and their preparation preclude or minimally prepare them for these structures. So, a better understanding of the factors that cause these difficulties and challenges not only will help students with their academic journey in the United States, but also educators and institutions which will be able to create a more inclusive and support learning environment, fostering the success and well-being of international students in higher education.

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities | English Language and Literature | First and Second Language Acquisition | Linguistics | Social and Behavioral Sciences

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