The purpose of the study was to understand the pull factors that influenced international students’ choice of country and institution for their Master’s education.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study was to understand the pull factors that influenced international students’ choice of country and institution for their Master’s education.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative study relied upon focus group interviews with 70 international students registered in taught Master programmes at a higher education (HE) institution in Malaysia for data collection.
Findings
It was found that socio-economic, environmental and personal factors played important role in the international student’s decision making process of choosing the country and HE institution.
Research limitations/implications
The article concludes with recommendations for Malaysian universities to consider in their marketing strategies to promote Malaysia as an international education’s hub.
Originality/value
This article focuses on research into the lives of international students who are currently pursuing their Master education at a public Malaysian university. This article discusses the three attributes that led this particular group of students to select Malaysia and the particular HE institution to further their taught Master programmes.
The purpose of this paper is to investigate and understand academic English language-related challenges in listening and speaking faced by English as a foreign language (EFL…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate and understand academic English language-related challenges in listening and speaking faced by English as a foreign language (EFL) international Master students enrolled in various taught Master programs in a Malaysian university from the viewpoint/lens of 16 lecturers teaching the students.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative research relied upon 16 in-depth one-to-one interview sessions with 16 lecturers teaching the taught Master programs at a higher education (HE) institution in Malaysia for data collection. Data collected were coded and categorized according to themes via qualitative analysis software, NVivo.
Findings
It was found that academic English language-related challenges in listening and speaking from the viewpoint of the 16 lecturers are such as lack of discipline content knowledge to communicate, lack of confidence in communicating orally, difficulty in understanding lectures and other oral activities in the classroom, and coping with differences in learning culture.
Research limitations/implications
This study suggests policies and programs to equip lecturers and university administrators to overcome the challenges faced by the students in their academic English language practices especially in listening and speaking to ensure meaningful academic adaptation in the current context.
Originality/value
The uniqueness of this study is that it is a retrospection of the lecturers teaching EFL and English as a second language (ESL) international Master students in taught Master programs in a Southeast Asian country. The focus of the retrospection is on academic English language-related challenges in listening and speaking faced by EFL international Master students who are currently pursuing their Master education at a HE institution in Malaysia.