Developing international student pragmatic skills and providing social support: A case study of a year-long university matriculation program for international students

The establishment and development of year-long international student pathway-to- university programs for undergraduates has become a growing trend in the U.S., particularly over the last five years, and there is yet plenty of research to be done about how adequately such programs prepare these students in terms of pragmatic competence, and how they provide for students\u27 negative emotional experiences. Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of a Deweyan view of designing environments; a Bourdieun lens of habitus; and a general framework of reflexivity, this study explores the way in which one program is preparing international students for higher education in the U.S. This year-long qualitative study was conducted in a pre-bachelors, conditional, year-long program for international students matriculating into an American university. It explores how the conceptualization of the program targeting pragmatic competence and emotional support was actually operationalized, and how it translated into the student experience during the program. It also looks at the post-program fully-matriculated student experience in university. Using qualitative methods of data collection, including transcribed participant interviews, focus groups and student reports, along with artifact collection, including mission statements, archived interviews, and student grade records, I employed an exploratory approach, and allowed the data to reveal trends in program expectations and program experiences. The findings suggest that while the intention to promote pragmatic competence exists, a cohesive and systematic system of doing so beyond the teaching of written academic norms does not. Further, in terms of emotional support, while creating a supportive space for students was a program priority, its reception varied, suggesting a need for further research in this realm