Does English Really Matter? The Views of International Doctoral Students from Asia

Every year numerous international doctoral students from Asia come to the U.S. to pursue their advanced degrees.
English proficiency raises a thorny issue for many international students that the limitation of English proficiency
possibly causes difficulties in both academic and personal lives in the U.S.. Empirical literature focuses on
investigating methods to help international students improve their English, but few studies dig specifically into the
wide array of their challenges and abroad experiences. The goal of this paper is, therefore, to provide classroom
teachers with a better understanding of the specific needs of international students by approaching two aspects of
the international students’ experience. First, we aimed to elucidate the challenges posed by linguistic limitations
that the current students faced while pursuing their doctoral degrees in the U.S.. Second, we explored the ways that
students’ attitudes about English might affect them on personal life and academic field level. Pedagogical
implications for English educators are suggested.