| With the increasing number of non-native speaking students studying in most colleges and universities in the United States, the growing attention in higher education has been paid to the quality of their academic writing. The teaching of academic writing to this group of students has become an important focus and challenge in many U.S. colleges and universities. This case study, based on the in-depth interviews, the focus group interviews, classroom observations, and textual analysis, explored the struggles international students at a Rocky Mountain Institution were facing in terms of academic writing, investigated how professors teach academic writing to this group of students at this institution, and found more ways for professors to be able to adequately serve this group of students at this institution. All of these analyzed findings indicated the lack of linguistic skills such as academic vocabulary and grammatical features for non-native English speakers although they had been learning English since elementary school in their own country, the unpreparedness of the institution and the teachers to meet the needs of NNS students, especially in academic English, and suggested the urgent need for increased awareness and practical knowledge for writing instructors working with NNS students in their classes, and for administrators hosting NNS students at this institution. In the end, this study shared some recommendations with the teachers and administrators at a Rocky Mountain Institution in an attempt to help the institution better prepare to meet the distinct needs of the increasing number of international students at this university. Further research was introduced so that more information and insights on helping NNS writers to become better academic writers at American universities can be found. |
