INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AND LANGUAGE: From individual ‘deficiency’ to instrument of oppression

Abstract

Rather than perceive it as an individual ‘deficiency’ to overcome for academic success, this chapter encourages researchers to recognize how language is used to oppress international students in higher education institutions. Situated in the context of English-medium universities in the Global North, the chapter details how the linguistic ‘deficiencies’ of international students are institutionally created. This may mean examining the label of ‘international student’ itself and how it upholds racial and colonial hierarchies. It could also mean exploring perceptions of international students’ language practices and the contexts in which they are perceived. In the end, the chapter argues for future research that names and challenges the institutional forces that marginalize international students on the basis of language.