Experiences of International Latinx Students When Studying in an Institution of Higher Education in the Southeast of the United States
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Authors
Restrepo Gutierrez, Andres Felipe
Issue Date
2025-04-07
Type
Dissertation
Language
en_US
Keywords
Adult education , Dissertations, Academic--United States , Hispanic American students , Graduate students , International students--United States , Language and education , English language--Study and teaching--Foreign speakers , Education, Higher , Cross-cultural studies , Latinx students--United States , Language acquisition , Autoethnographies
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Abstract
This research study explored the experiences of International Latinx students (ILS) who sought a graduate degree at an institution of higher education (IHE) in the Southeast of the United States. ILS represent 4.3 % of the 1 million international students (IS) in the United States. In several research studies, ILS have reported cultural, linguistic, academic, and social challenges when studying at U.S. IHEs. Although studies about IS experiences exist, most of these concentrate on students from China, Korea, and India, whereas there is a gap concerning the ILS perspective in the literature on international studies. This study explored the experiences of ILS when seeking a degree in U.S. IHEs. I used a co-constructed autoethnography (CCAE) methodology and included ILS as collaborating research participants. The collaborators and I reflected on our experiences as ILS and positionality to construct an overall understanding of seeking a graduate degree at a U.S. IHE. Testimonios and follow-up conversations were used for data collection and analysis, which included coding and emergent themes. This research study provides valuable and original data about ILS’ native language (Spanish) and the U.S. language of instruction (English). This study revealed that ILS had difficulties with the English language, which collectively led them to develop negative emotions when using English language as the language of instruction and learning. This research study provides an original contribution as it explores the experiences of ILS in the United States. IHE administrators, professors, and ILS can glean educational practices that ILS consider crucial for their learning process from this study.
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This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with th