By Dina Weinstein

Learning the skills of research is a pillar of the student experience at Virginia Commonwealth University. Doing so while also learning the English language is an achievement with special resonance.

On May 1, VCU’s English Language Program, which is part of the Global Education Office, held a symposium at which two dozen ELP students reflected the spirit of the university’s Every Ram’s a Researcher initiative. And for Eunseo Lee, an undergraduate from South Korea, it was an opportunity to bring together both realms.

Lee, who is majoring in international trade, stood next to her trifold poster, which highlighted her research into the academic and social experience of international students studying at VCU. Her project stemmed from personal observations, including how American students comport themselves more casually than in her home country.

“I saw some American students sometimes wear their AirPods during class,” said Lee, who was taken aback: In South Korea, students put away their personal tech – as a sign of respect to professors and to show they are paying attention in class.

Her reflections about adjusting to life as a visiting international student also influenced her research angles.

“I faced a lot of struggles and some challenges,” Lee said. “But over time, I learned that if I want to grow up, it does not require perfectionism. I kept trying to join the campus activities and make friendships. I allowed myself to make some mistakes.”

The ELP research symposium was a significant departure from the daily classes in English pronunciation, writing, grammar and test prep that 149 students took this past semester. In three classrooms in the program’s offices at Grace Street Center, students from countries including Vietnam, Turkey, Kuwait, Colombia and Afghanistan explained their research on topics as varied as collectivism versus individualism, the effect of social media on children, the cybersecurity risk of robots, AI effectiveness, social media’s impact on mental health, and the correlation between beauty standards and plastic surgery.

As faculty, visitors and fellow students circulated around the symposium, Lee outlined her research process that explored the academic and social experience of international students. She noted that she initially surveyed her classmates, who include international students as well as refugees wishing to improve their English skills, by asking about the biggest difference between their countries and their experience studying in the United States.

Citing academic publications such as Frontiers in Psychology, Lee also presented information about how, even with the benefits of studying abroad, some students experience loneliness and isolation, struggling to feel a sense of belonging. And she outlined how, through perseverance, students can develop independence, new perspectives, self-discovery and lasting confidence.

Many students join ELP to prepare for pursuing undergraduate or master’s degree in the United States. For symposium organizer Audrey Emiko Short, assistant professor in the ELP, Lee’s effort represented the value of connecting international students to the academic research process.

“To be ready for university studies, these students need to know how to research, argue and counterargue,” Short said. “So rather than just staying within our individual bubbles and having us do it in class, I organized this outward presentation of work – to get these students ready for their next step.”

In her classes, students homed in on topics and explored academic research using Google Scholar. 

“Going through an academic peer-reviewed journal, learning how to read the abstract and the conclusion, and then see if you want to read the rest of it was a challenge, as students were doing all of that in a language many of them were still mastering,” Short said.

The ELP students also visited VCU’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program poster symposium, which could be inspiring as well as overwhelming, she said. “From the pedagogical point of view, the students were challenged having to present in front of strangers.”

But the experiences were impactful: Many students altered their presentation styles or improved their pronunciation after getting feedback from classmates.

“We learn from each other. It’s beautiful how the students support each other in this program,” said Short, who challenges the misperception that limited English skills are a sign of deficiency. “We work with students who just graduated high school to professionals who have made sacrifices to be here for different reasons. I want them to know that their skills are valued. I would love the narrative to be changed to, ‘They have extra powers.’”

Short credited the collaborative efforts of the ELP faculty and staff for the symposium's success, as did Moe Debbagh Greene, Ph.D., director of the English Language Program.

“I am proud of the teamwork within the English Language Program and the Global Education Office,” Greene said. “Faculty leadership, staff members’ support and student engagement and excellence made this wonderful and engaging event possible. It showcases the learning that's taking place in the English Language Program and how the program has prepared the students for academic success and beyond.”

Lee, the undergraduate from South Korea, does feel empowered. Before and during the symposium, she felt nervous presenting her research orally. But in the end, she felt proud.

“I kept doing the presentation in front of classmates and my teacher,” Lee said. “I got a lot of confidence speaking. I learned how to make good, complete sentences in English. I made some grammar and pronunciation mistakes, but I am still learning.”