International Students Students with English as a second language at the University of Mount Union

Viewing Education from an International Perspective  Activity

The University of Mount Union  Alliance, Ohio  115 acres of land.  No building on the university campus has more than three stories  Approximately 2,200 students

UMU’s International Community  Approximately 80 students  Speak 35 different languages  Come from 22 different countries

Our Study  We surveyed 8 international students at UMU (10% of the international population at UMU)  Students came from Vietnam and Japan  The average age was 18.6  7 males and 1 female participant  6 freshmen and 2 sophomores

Challenges Faced vs. Anticipated  Anticipated  Communication  English  Visa interview  Culture  Exams  Finances  Nothing  Faced  Communication  English  Culture  Food  Having friends  Getting along with domestic students  Lack of entertainment

Physical  Two Vietnamese students indicated that their least favorite part about the experience has been the poor food quality; also indicated that the campus security is the main service they’ve used on campus.  One Vietnamese student said “the only thing I don’t like is I think the campus is too small.”  One Japanese student rated his experience at Mount Union as “below average” because even though people on campus are friendly and the campus is “relatively beautiful,” he feels the university does not offer enough facilities.

Physical Environment

Aggregate  One Vietnamese student wrote, “education is the most important thing and I receive good education here.” He continued to say that his least favorite part about being a student at Mount Union is that “there is still distance between American and International students. We don’t interact well enough.”  Another Vietnamese student indicated that his least favorite part about being a student at Mount Union is “sometimes Americans make fun of our language and culture by saying an accent in a student way.”  One Vietnamese student indicated his least favorite part about Mount Union as being bullied and disrespected.

Aggregate Environment

Constructed  One Japanese student cited his biggest challenge as culture shock. “American culture is very different from Japanese culture than I thought,” he said.  One Vietnamese student rated his experience at Mount Union as “excellent” because of the friendliness of the people he interacts with, the good services, and the overall good atmosphere.  One Vietnamese student said he thinks there is a “race problem.”

Organizational  One Vietnamese student said “Mount Union has many associations and clubs for students” while another student said there aren’t enough activities for international students.  The classroom environment is difficult for the Vietnamese students because their educational environment in Vietnam is more lecture and reading based rather than practical application of ideas.

Services Provided

 Free transportation  Gym  Cafeteria  Organizations  Fall break trip  Campus security  Walmart trip (most popular service)  Writing Center and tutors