TESL Canada Journal

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During the past five years, an increasing number of younger international students from mainland China have appeared on Canadian campuses to pursue their first university degrees. What is it like being an international student studying in a foreign language and culture at such a young age? Through narrative inquiry (Clandinin and Connelly, 2000), the study reported here examines the transitional experiences of four female high school students from mainland China as they moved from a Chinese high school to a Canadian high school and later to a Canadian university. The study attempts to record and understand the challenges these students face in order to live and study in English in a vastly different educational, cultural and social milieu. The study also offers insights into how these international students, as well as many recent immigrant ESL students, can be better supported during their adaptation process in Canada.