The influence of language difficulties on the wellbeing of international students: An interpretive phenomenological analysis

Language difficulties are cited as the most critical issue facing international students today. This study particularly looks into the influence of language difficulties on the wellbeing of international students. The study was conducted at a student accommodation in Melbourne, Australia using an Interpretive Phenomenological Approach (IPA). This explored the subjective experiences of five international students from Colombia, Mongolia, China, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia. Results were organized into six themes, all of which supported the hypothesis that language difficulties influence the level of psychological wellbeing among international students. Language was the superordinate theme that held all the other sub themes together. These findings support the conclusion that the higher the level of English language proficiency, the lower the levels of cultural stress, academic difficulties, and negative emotions among international students.