Arab World English Journal (November 2013) Theses / Dissertation
Name of researcher: Rui Ting Wu
Title of the dissertation: Non-English-Speaking International (NESI) Students’ Tertiary learning Strategies in Relation to English for Academic Purposes
Subject/major: TESOL Education
University name, department name: Faculty of Education University of Tasmania
Year of award: 2008
Advisor names: Dr Margaret Baguley and Dr. Thao Le
Abstract:
With increasing numbers of Non English Speaking International (NESI) students travelling abroad to pursue higher education in a native English speaking learning environment, it is becoming increasingly important to examine the strategies they use to support their academic studies. This study aimed to discover what learning strategies are used by Chinese background students studying at the University of Tasmania (UTAS) to cope with their new academic environment. A random sample of 50 Chinese background students and four academic staff at UTAS was used. The data gathering consisted of a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. A combination of both quantitative and qualitative approaches was utilised to analyse the data. The findings confirmed that English ability was essential for NESI students’ study and their ability in this area significantly influenced their learning and academic achievements at UTAS. A number of recommendations have been made in relation to this study to assist NESI students enrolled in Australian university courses. The findings from this study have the potential to assist current and future NESI students and higher education providers in identifying effective and appropriate learning strategies to enhance academic achievements.
Keywords: Learning strategies, academic achievement, English deficiency, difficulties of living and studying overseas.
