Abstract:

This presentation addresses the status of early study abroad (ESA) students in Canada and describes findings of a collaborative research initiative focusing on the school engagement and social and cultural adaptation of a cohort of students attending an urban secondary school in Ontario. The term early study abroad refers to international students attending secondary school outside their country of origin and being taught by individuals who have been socialized in a different language and culture from their own.

Part of a fast-growing demographic of international students, the students under study have come to Canada to obtain an Ontario Secondary School Diploma. In 2018, there were 721,205 international students in Canada, including close to 65,000 in the K–12 sector, up from 44,000 in 2015. Research on the postarrival experiences of international students indicates that they face challenges with regard to academic, social, and cultural integration. Students report difficulties with linguistic and cultural adaptation, social isolation and extreme loneliness. Also documented are pressures ESA students experience from family expectations of successful academic performance.

A study conducted by the author revealed that policies concerning tuition, custodianship, counselling provision, and homestay assignment for ESA students vary from school board to school board, even school to school. Hence, teachers and guidance personnel do not always know how to address these issues and whom to go to when problems arise. As concerns access to subject matter, in addition to challenges around developing target language proficiency, most international students need to acclimatize to an unfamiliar academic culture. The study’s most illuminating finding was that most of these youths’ parents or caregivers have made considerable economic and personal sacrifices in the hope that acquiring “legitimate” English would give their child access to global citizenship and a secure future. A profile emerges of overburdened adolescents who, in addition to confronting challenges related to academic socialization in a foreign language and culture and estrangement from family and friends, must contend with apprehension over possibly disappointing their struggling families.

In response to these various challenges, our researcher-practitioner team organized a series of activities for students at an urban school, including a peer mentoring program, peer-led orientation days for new students, field trips to cultural landmarks, and breakfast/lunch workshops on topics of relevance. Findings from observations and interviews over the course of the 14-month project reinforced the importance of fostering face-to-face interaction with both peers and caring adults through strategic multimodal activities designed to strengthen problem-solving skills and enhance cultural knowledge and student resilience.

Most strategies we identified as effective in promoting ESA students’ social integration through cultivation of cultural literacy and resourcefulness skills involved face-to-face interaction among study participants. While committed and responsive educators appear able to negotiate across time, resources, teacher and student agency to accommodate ESA students’ learning, socialization, and acculturation needs, our findings indicate that the basic comforts of human contact are a necessity for these adolescent learners.

Keywords:

International students, early study abroad, secondary education, social and cultural integration, global citizenship.