Abstract

• Rationale:
  • Annually, CUHK hosts 1,000+ incoming exchange students, most of whom are second language (L2) speakers of English.
  • As the University promotes interactive learning/eLearning (e.g., flipped classrooms, online Forums), it is important to systematically investigate how this population is coping with the demands placed on them in English-medium courses.
  • A comprehensive understanding of their needs is essential to provide direction for meaningful interventions.


• Aim:
• To support the University’s Internationalization at Home (IaH)/eLearning aims, this project would identify the challenges facing incoming exchange students who are L2 speakers of English to determine effective ways to support their learning/eLearning and academic integration in courses that are taught in English.


• Approach: This mixed-method study would:
  • track the learning needs, expectations, and experiences of incoming L2 exchange students who take courses taught in English;
  • identify the internal and external factors that facilitate or hinder their learning/eLearning and academic integration.


• Outcomes:
  • Drawing on this needs analysis, concrete recommendations would provide direction for interventions (curricular, pedagogical) that would seek to optimize the learning and academic integration of incoming exchange students who are L2 speakers of English (e.g., English for academic purposes (EAP) courses/workshops). This would benefit local and international students, and faculty.