Linguistic Challenges – A probe into Hurdles faced by International Students

As reported by UK Council for International Student Affairs, in recent years, the number of international students going abroad to study has grown significantly, with rise to 66% comparing with the year completing March 2019. These students face significant challenges when entering the world and studying in a foreign country that may threaten their academic and personal wellbeing. Empirical investigation reveals that international students face challenges can be well divided into three kinds: linguistic, socio-cultural, and academic challenges based on past learning experiences. However, despite these challenges for international students, linguistic challenges are the biggest challenge to overcome.

Language barriers impact nearly every aspect of an international student’s daily life, from understanding lectures and engaging in classroom discussions to making friends and managing everyday tasks like shopping or banking. Unlike socio-cultural or academic challenges, developing language proficiency demands significant time and effort. Additionally, linguistic difficulties can lead to psychological stress, as students may feel “like children who are powerless” when unable to articulate complex thoughts. This article will explore why language-related challenges are the most significant obstacles international students face compared to other difficulties.

Linguistic challenges influence multiple facets of student life

Language barriers pose a unique challenge for international students, as they impact nearly every aspect of university life. Unlike socio-cultural or academic challenges that may affect only specific areas, language difficulties influence both academic performance and social interactions. In the classroom, many international students struggle to follow lectures due to professors speaking too quickly, with one student stating, “Some professors spoke too fast, and it was hard to keep following him/her.” Similarly, expressing ideas in class is particularly challenging, limiting participation in discussions and ultimately affecting grades. Beyond academics, language barriers also hinder social connections with local students. As one student shared, “At a party, I could not understand the jokes while Americans were laughing,” leading to feelings of isolation and loneliness. Even routine activities like shopping, banking, or ordering food become stressful when students lack confidence in their communication skills.

International students often feel others look down on them because of their poor English skills, damaging their self-confidence. What makes this situation more frustrating is that even students with good English test scores often struggle with real conversations outside the classroom. Research pointed out that students with better language skills integrate more easily into university communities, which suggests that improving language proficiency can help overcome both academic and social challenges. Therefore, language difficulties represent the most pervasive challenge for international students, affecting nearly every aspect of their university experience.

Linguistic challenges involve time to overcome

Improving language skills is one of the most difficult challenges for international students because it takes much more time than adjusting to other aspects of university life. While students can learn about academic rules and cultural customs in a few months through orientation programs and university guidelines, becoming good at a new language requires years of practice and patience. This is especially true for academic English, which is different from everyday conversation. As Kuo (2011) explains, “TOEFL scores only showed how well one performs in the English language, not in one’s academic area,” which means that even students with good test scores often struggle with real communication at university. International students face the additional burden of learning special vocabulary related to their subjects. For example, engineering students must learn technical terms that are not used in general English courses. This creates extra work for them compared to local students who only need to learn the new concepts, not the language itself. Research points out that different countries have different expectations about how language should be used in university settings. In some countries, students are expected to use formal language and avoid questioning the teacher, while UK universities often expect students to express their own opinions and participate actively in discussions. These differences make language adaptation particularly challenging.

Even after living in the UK for several years, many international students continue to struggle with certain language aspects like understanding jokes, following fast group conversations, or writing academic papers to meet university standards. Unlike cultural adjustment, which often follows a clear pattern of adaptation, language improvement happens slowly and unevenly, with many students feeling frustrated by the gap between what they want to express and what they can actually communicate.

Linguistic challenges cause psychological impact

The third reason why linguistic challenges are the hardest to overcome is that they create serious psychological problems for international students. When students cannot express their complex thoughts in English, they often experience a deep sense of frustration and loss of identity. Many international students “feel like children who are powerless” when they cannot communicate their ideas clearly. This feeling of being reduced to a childlike state damages their self-image as capable adults and educated professionals. Beyond frustration, language difficulties often lead to more serious mental health problems. International students become vulnerable particularly to psychological distress when they cannot express themselves adequately in the host country’s language.” Language barriers contribute to “anxiety, depression, anger, and damage to self-concepts” among international students. This happens because students experience a painful gap between their intellectual abilities and what they can actually express in English. For example, a student who was a confident speaker and successful academic in their home country suddenly finds themselves struggling to participate in basic classroom discussions, which feels humiliating. International students often feel that others look down on them because of their poor English skills, creating feelings of shame and inadequacy. This psychological stress then creates a negative cycle where students become less confident in using English, which gives them fewer opportunities to practice, making it even harder to improve. Many students begin to avoid social situations where they need to speak English, leading to isolation and loneliness. Without friends or a support network, their mental wellbeing suffers further. This psychological impact is particularly damaging because it affects not just academic performance but also personal identity and social relationships, making linguistic challenges extremely difficult to overcome compared to academic or socio-cultural challenges.

Counter rebuttal

Some people might argue that academic or socio-cultural challenges are the hardest for international students to overcome, but in my opinion, language difficulties are still the most important problem. Those who believe academic challenges are worse might point out that poor academic performance directly affects grades and can even prevent students from completing their degree. However, this view overlooks the fact that good academic performance depends heavily on language skills. Without understanding lectures or expressing ideas clearly in assignments, students cannot demonstrate their knowledge effectively. Similarly, others claim that socio-cultural challenges are more serious because they affect everyday life, making students feel lonely and unhappy. Yet research unveils that students with better language skills integrate more easily into university communities and make friends faster with local students. This suggests that improving language ability naturally helps to solve social problems too. Some researchers argue that all three challenges are connected and equally difficult, which is partly true. However, linguistic challenges create a foundation that affects both academic and social adjustment. Moreover, academic cultures vary significantly between countries, but understanding these differences requires good communication skills first. Even when students understand subject content, they cannot participate in classroom discussions or write essays successfully without proper language skills. International students therefore, often feel others look down on them because of their poor English, which affects their confidence in both academic and social situations. Hence, while academic and socio-cultural challenges are certainly difficult, linguistic challenges must be addressed first as they underlie and magnify the other problems faced by international students. Furthermore, addressing linguistic challenges first creates a strong foundation for a successful and fulfilling international education experience.

Universities should acknowledge these challenges by providing extensive language support services that extend beyond orientation and throughout students’ academic journeys. These services could include conversation partners, subject-specific language workshops, and routine progress assessments to identify persistent difficulties. By emphasizing language support, universities can enable international students to tackle other challenges more effectively, as stronger communication skills contribute to enhanced academic success and social integration. Prioritizing linguistic development lays a solid foundation for a rewarding and successful international education experience.

The writer is Ph-D in business administration and an independent researcher. He can be reached at drmaqsoodkhalid@gmail.com