Analytical Summary of Özturgut and Murphy (2009)

Recruiting international students is increasingly important in the U.S. university because they contribute to get diversity and economical benefit. Osman Özturgut, Carole Murphy (2009) researched among previous literatures studying the challenges for international students in the article, “Literature vs. Practice: Challenges for International Students in the U.S.”

The authors examined the previous studies because although the international students contribute by providing diversity in campus, providing the economical benefit, and supplying teaching assistant, the university’s administrations did not attempt to deal with the challenges for international students. In the other word, they conducted this article because they thought the university’s administrators should understand the .

They found main challenges to adapt the environment for international students before they discuss the practice in the university. First, the lack of confidence appears the barriers for international students (Dillon and Swann,1997; Takahashi, 1989; Tompson and Tompson, 1996; Senyshyn, et al,2001; Özturgut,2001; Stover, 1982; Pederson, 1991;

After they reviewed these literatures, they found that the clue for the administrators to deal with the problem of international students is in the area of communication. Although the university administrators implement some consulting, they did not meet the needs and concerns of the international students. Hence, it can be said that the administrators and faculties are misunderstanding their roles of the acculturating of international students.

In conclusion, the authors suggest that the higher education institution should change their direction of the strategies for international students to meet their needs and concerns. For example, they recommended to provide the host family program for understanding the culture and offer English program for international students. The authors encourage to extent their study having conversations what they have done for international students or not.

Some main finding of the challenges for international students is overlapping with De Araujo (2011). In particular, both of these article emphasis the importance of social support.  While social support explained with the key words such as Although social support was one of the major adjustment issue, it is the important practice in Özturgut and Marphy (2009).  “actual” and “perceived” in De Araujo (2011), it is provided with the word such as “frequent.” This differences seem that Özturgut and Marphy (2009) focused on quantity of social support while De Araujo (2011) focused on the quality of social support.  It can be assumed that social support is the existing and intimacy network. This differences might be caused by the differences of the purpose because De Araujo (2011) tried to integrate the literatures while Özturgut and Marphy (2009) attempted to find the practice. Moreover, Phillips (2014) and Strayhorn (2012) can be said that they corresponded this article because they investigated the area of communication among international students and provide suggestions. For example, Phillips (2014) conducted the case study that provided the good practice for this article because Chozin could succeed by establishing his social network and his network including Phillips helped him adjusting the environment. In addition, Strayhorn (2012) conducted the interview in order to reveal the importance of socialization. This can be useful to find the needs and concerns and to provide the good practice.

In this article, social support is one of the key concept. they explained the social support with these following key words: “family support (p.375),” “the absence of their own traditional sources of social support (p.376),” “building relationships between them (international students), and promoting friendships among colleagues and other students (p.377),” “frequent social contact with other students (p.378).” These words represent the importance to build the social relationship for international students. However, it seems that most of social support are offered by the family and friends, not by the university administration. This is actually relating with their main claim, which is that “it would seem that the most important challenge in working with international students lies in the area of communication (Özturgut and Marphy, 2009, p.377).” In fact, their suggestions relates the communication, building the interaction, and the social support.

The authors use the reporting verb “argue” for six times. They used “report” for nine times, “conduct” for nine, “found” eleven times. This seems that they did not intended to put their interpretation for their review and they tried to convey the findings of current studies as the fact. In particular, the authors used the verb “argue” when they explain that the previous studies provided new opinion for old information. For example, in this text, “Bunz (1997) argued that the lack of interaction between American and international students has roots… (P.376)”, it can be assumed that the author thought the common understanding of Americans have the ability of the acceptance of culture differences. However, Bunz (1997) provided an unique angle of the culture acceptance.   In addition, these verbs help them avoid the repetition by using many types of reporting verb. Thus, they used many verbs what have a relatively neutral meaning. The academic writers can learn from this article how to avoid the repetition.