The lived experiences of L2 Chinese graduate students in American higher education: A phenomenological narrative inquiry

The dilemmas, struggles, and conflicts of international students are ongoing research topics across disciplines. Utilizing a small culture approach that understands the "making and remaking" process (Holliday, 1999, p.247) of second language users/learners, this phenomenological narrative study explores the experiences of five L2 Chinese graduate students at Fountain University and their views on factors shaping their personal, academic, and linguistic growth. The study addressed the following questions: (a) What were the lived experiences of the participants on becoming Fountain University students? (b) How did they perceive their lived experiences as L2 learners and users? (c) How did they perceive their development of intercultural, academic, and linguistic competencies? (d) What were their perceptions of the factors that shape their lived experiences?;Based on three types of data: narrative, follow-up interview, and focus-group interview, the results showed both internal and external factors impacted their lived experiences. Internal factors include language learning competency, critical thinking and time management capabilities; External factors are school administrations to international students, institute culture regarding curriculum and instruction, evaluation, and classroom climate, as well as the availability of resources at Fountain University. The participants' journey of English using and learning after they came to America revealed that the languages of adult language learners/users are constructed by their situated experiences (Ortega, 2010).