ERIC Number: EJ1185902
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1474-8479
EISSN: N/A
Migration and Education: A Narrative Approach to the Experience of Foreign Students in Portugal
Nada, Cosmin Ionut; Araújo, Helena Costa
London Review of Education, v16 n2 p308-324 2018
Non-English-speaking countries are attracting burgeoning numbers of foreign students, yet research regarding these students' experiences remains rather scarce. In line with global tendencies, Portuguese universities are seeing substantial growth in foreign student enrolment. This paper addresses the lived experiences of foreign students in the period following their arrival in a new cultural context, discussing the role that language and social support play in their adaptation. Rooted in a narrative approach, this paper is based on 41 in-depth biographic interviews. The findings indicate that the ways in which students deal with the challenges of living and studying in a foreign country are highly diverse. Nevertheless, a universal aspect of their narratives is the central role assumed by social support. Although social support has beneficial outcomes for foreign students' adaptation, if provided inadequately it can lead to less positive outcomes and even to marginalization.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Migration, Foreign Students, Student Experience, Student Adjustment, Cultural Context, Language Role, Social Support Groups, Interviews, Biographies, Study Abroad, College Students, Student Attitudes
UCL IOE Press. UCL Institute of Education, University of London, 20 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AL, UK. Tel: +44-20-7911-5565; e-mail: ioe.ioepress@ucl.ac.uk; Web site: https://www.ucl-ioe-press.com/journals/london-review-of-education/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Portugal
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A