Postgraduate academic writing in a new intellectual culture

Challenges faced by multilingual international students in American universities

Abstract

This study investigates the multi-layered academic writing challenges and navigation strategies of multilingual international graduate students operating within unfamiliar Anglophone/Western scholarly environments, with a specific empirical focus on Kazakhstani postgraduates in American universities. Drawing upon Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory as a mediational framework, data were collected through four semi-structured focus groups comprising of 21 master’s and doctoral students (N = 21). Thematic analysis of the qualitative data generated four primary structural, cognitive, and cross-cultural challenges: transition from narrative to analytical writing; navigating the hidden curriculum of academic writing; cognitive barriers to critical and independent thinking; and influence of prior academic culture. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of how international students negotiate new intellectual cultures and offers practical insights for enhancing academic writing support across global educational contexts.