From National School to U.S. College

by Karen A Wrobbel

In this article, I will focus specifically on seven issues that are important to address in the transition to tertiary education in the United States. I focus on the U.S. because the students in the research used for this article studied in the U.S.¹ Workers from other home countries may be able to apply these findings to their experience.

©istockphoto/KatarzynaBialasiewicza

Missionaries today benefit from a wide variety of options for their children’s education. One of the options used especially by workers in countries with quality educational systems is the host country national school. National schools offer in-depth interaction with the people and culture of the host country, as well as an opportunity to learn the language with a depth achieved by few non-native speakers. It affords the family the opportunity to live together and, relative to other options, national schools are both convenient and inexpensive. 

However, the choice of a national school may be accompanied by an opportunity cost in first language development, challenges in adjustment to the parents’ home culture, and typically, an eventual transition between systems. Parents who choose national schools for their children must prepare for the transition from the national school to college in the homeland. 

In this article, I will focus specifically on seven issues that are important to address in the transition to tertiary education in the United States. I focus on the U.S. because the students in the research used for this article studied in the U.S.¹ Workers from other home countries may be able to apply these findings to their experience.

1. Parents of those in national schools need to hone the student’s English-language skills, both oral and written. Research with immigrant students notes a distinction between conversational language and academic language (e.g., Cummins 1999). Immigrant students developed proficiency in the context-rich language of everyday interactions within two to three years. However, it took them five to seven years or longer to develop proficiency in the context-reduced, specialized-vocabulary language of academics (Collier 1989). Missionary kids (MKs) and others who have studied in the host country national school may speak English conversationally, but without intentional effort to develop academic English, these students may face significant challenges when entering university in the United States.

Several areas of linguistic preparation may be needed. National school-educated students may need to review English spelling and grammar, and will need to use spellcheck and other tools faithfully. More than half of the nationally-educated students in my research listed writing academic essays as an academic challenge or adjustment upon entering the university after national school.  

Forms of argumentation, expectations for construction, and even understandings of academic integrity may differ in the U.S. in comparison to the host country. Students need to prepare to write essays and papers in the manner expected in the U.S. prior to enrolling in university, and then, once at school, they need to take advantage of the university’s writing center. When a language other than English has been a student’s ‘native’ academic language for a number of years, the student should expect that it will take longer to create a first draft, and to rephrase and edit successive versions of papers.

2. Understanding academic integrity, as defined in the American context, is critical. Esther² describes how it was expected that students would copy others’ ideas in her Argentine school. Her perception was that, in that culture, it was felt that if somebody said something and it was good, then you should just write it down the same way. In the U.S. university context, plagiarism is a serious academic offense.

3. Parents of national school-educated MKs need to identify and bridge relevant content gaps. University students will be expected to know basic U.S. history. They will need to have a sense of U.S. geography, both physical and human. Their national school may have included study of the literature of their host nation, but they may not have studied major authors and works in English literature that would be foundational for college courses. 

As noted previously, students will need to develop their academic language in English. This includes terms for concepts that they know and understand in their second language as well as idioms and slang expressions. Finally, students will need a working knowledge of non-metric measures so that they can interact meaningfully with classmates who think in inches, miles, and gallons. 

Families take different approaches to bridging these content gaps and developing academic language. Some families choose to teach the skills. Among those who choose to teach the skills, approaches range from ongoing home schooling in these areas to just-in-time study in the final year of high school. Older students can tutor younger siblings in English, which not only benefits the younger siblings, but also reinforces the older students’ understandings because one needs to understand in order to teach. Another way to fill the gap might be to use workbooks or other materials without formal teaching. 

Connie, who attended Austrian schools through grade 12, reported that she read extensively in English without formal instruction. By doing so, she had exposure to vocabulary and encountered models for grammar and syntax. According to Connie, 

Reading English is definitely what enabled me to come to the States [for college]. My siblings didn’t read. They’re now in college in Austria because they didn’t feel comfortable even trying to come to college in America. Reading helped give me a vocabulary and spelling ability, and my siblings have a hard time spelling English.  

It may go without saying, but speaking English at home is another way to develop English academic vocabulary. Although code-switching is common among bilingual families, parents can help their children develop both languages by ensuring they converse in both languages and express complete ideas in one language at a time. Students in the national school may know and understand a concept. Telling parents, in English, about the concept can provide parents with the opportunity to model English academic vocabulary for the concept.

4. It is important for nationally-schooled MKs to receive preparation for higher education expectations. Lectures are still common in university classes, and students will need to be prepared to take notes. This may be an area of strength for national school-experienced MKs. Jessica reported, “[I] was a really good note-taker when I went to college. [In the French schools] we wrote pages and pages every hour because that’s how the class was delivered.” Students may find that they take notes in their national school language, because of more academic familiarity and fluidity. When speaking about notes from her freshman year, Connie said, “There was a lot of German there.” As a senior, she still abbreviated or captured complex concepts in German.   

5. Methods of assessing learning may also be different. Many of the students reported that multiple choice tests were new to them. Accustomed to essay tests that focused on broad concepts in her German school, Hannah described multiple choice exams as ‘nit-picky details.’ Students need to practice with the multiple choice format before taking the high-stakes college entrance SAT or ACT tests. Craig, who had studied in Austria, reported ‘terrible’ SAT scores, mainly because he was not used to taking that kind of test.

6. Parents need to be appropriately involved and assertive to help the university understand their students. MKs who have been educated in host country schools should not be classified as international students, although they will have some common experiences and perspectives. A greater risk is that their different experiences and backgrounds may be ignored or misunderstood. David Pollock and Ruth Van Reken describe the phenomena of ‘hidden immigrants,’ where the student looks like everyone else externally but thinks differently (1999, 54).

It is important for parents to be sure that the academic record of a nationally-educated MK is evaluated appropriately. Translation of the record is only the first step. A greater challenge may be to make the transcript meaningful to admissions officers in North America because each country reports student achievement differently. 

For example, Matthew reported that grading in Argentina was based on a 10-point scale but it does not correlate with an American view of percentages: “An eight is a good grade [in Argentina]… here it’s like a low C. You can’t just mathematically transfer it to a grade.” According to Jessica, France uses a 20-point scale, but 20 is “pretty much unattainable.” She had “a good average” [in France] but when it transferred in, it looked like 75%, which is bad.” 

A further challenge may be even getting an academic record to send to the university. Allison said, “German schools don’t really give you transcripts. You have the report card, and they don’t even keep a copy of the report card.” 

Students can earn significant college credit for their work in national schools by taking exams such as the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) or Advanced Placement (AP) exams.  The university might recognize the difficulty of the national system and grant credit for secondary work because of its difficulty. Jessica reports that she earned “a year and a half or two years of credit” because university officers determined that her work in the French schools was equivalent to college-level work. 

According to Melissa, who studied in German schools,

The application forms weren’t built for me at all. There were three empty pages that you’re supposed to fill out all your extracurricular activities, and Germans don’t have extracurricular activities. That was such a struggle and such a sort of identity crisis almost because I was like, I’m awful. So I think the only thing I could put down was involvement in my church. But it was just puny and ridiculous compared to what other, maybe even similarly qualified, students put on their applications. So it was very frustrating for me.

Parents can help their students identify ways in which they are distinctive, even though it may not fit the categories on the college application. Students who have lived significant parts of their lives in another culture are broader, having experienced diversity in people, cultures, and languages. Colleges are looking for students who bring diverse perspectives and experiences to campus, and the national school-experienced MK will enrich campus diversity. Make sure the admissions personnel understand that.  

7. We must remember that all students face adjustments when they enter college. One of the adjustments students can expect is an increased workload. Fortunately, the consensus of the students interviewed for this research is that college is not hard, perhaps thanks to the rigor of their national school. Matthew may sum it up well when he says, “[I] expected to be always swamped with homework… [However], apart from my own procrastination, I have been able to cope well with college studies.” David, who went to German schools, felt college in America was “too easy, actually,” and Japan-experienced Kathy found high school to be “much more challenging” than college. Hannah believes “that when you’re challenged a lot [in high school], [you] actually [don’t] find [college] to be so challenging.”

Although all students face a significant transition when they leave home to go to college, missionary kids coming from an overseas location may have an even greater transition. Cultural adjustments will be required, and it may be even more challenging if the student thinks of coming to the U.S. as going ‘home.’ Research supports the idea that those who adjusted best overseas may have the most difficulty with repatriation (Christofi and Thompson 2007, 54). 

As ‘hidden immigrants,’ others may not understand the significant transition the overseas-experienced student is making. Esther, who attended Argentine schools, had a memorable incident on the first day of a college chemistry course. The professor was explaining something and turned to her and asked, “How many inches are in three feet?” 

To the professor, this was an easy question for any college student to answer, and a simple way to engage students. However, Esther says, “I didn’t know what he was talking about. I was so embarrassed, and I went up after class and told him that the reason I had no idea was because I grew up in another country.” Although this situation was easily resolved, it illustrates that Esther looked like every other student in the class, so she was expected to have experiences and knowledge that were similar to her classmates.

All students (whether internationally experienced or not) make a significant life transition when they enter college. In a report prepared for the Gates Foundation, David Conley identifies several components of college readiness (2007). Parents can review this or similar reports and evaluate their own student’s preparation in light of the expectations listed. MKs and other global nomads are likely to be strong in the “contextual skills and awareness” category because of their cross-cultural experiences. 

As I presented earlier, academic knowledge and skills may be strong but may be difficult to express due to academic language limitations or content gaps. The report referenced above lists writing and research skills as an overarching academic requirement for all college students, reinforcing the necessity of making sure the national school-educated student is prepared to research and write in accordance with expectations of U.S. universities. 

Conley’s college readiness list also includes general behaviors such as self-awareness, self-control, and self-monitoring, which are necessary in order to handle the greater freedom and flexible schedule that is part of college life. Finally, general cognitive skills such as inquisitiveness, curiosity, and problem solving skills will be required in college. These skills will also be developed further by a college education.

Conclusion

The transition from high school to college can be challenging for any student. For students also transitioning from an overseas location to the homeland, there is a significant additional cultural adjustment. The transition from national school to U.S. college adds a major educational transition to the cultural and general transitions of college-bound MKs. However, with careful and thorough preparation, the challenges of the transition can be limited, and students can move forward with confidence in this next phase of their life experiences. 

Endnotes

1. Understanding of the national school experience comes from survey responses of 142 subjects who were enrolled at one of ten Christian colleges or universities, plus follow-up interviews with 21 students. The initial research was completed in 2005.

2. All names are pseudonyms.

References 

Christofi, Victoria and Charles Thompson. 2007. “You Cannot Go Home Again: A Phenomenological Investigation of Returning to the Sojourn Country after Studying Abroad.” Journal of Counseling & Development 85(1): 53-63. 

Collier, Virginia P. 1989. “How Long? A Synthesis of Research on Academic Achievement in a Second Language.” TESOL Quarterly 23(2): 509-531.

Conley, David T. 2007. “Redefining College Readiness.” Report prepared for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Eugene, Ore.: Educational Policy Improvement Center. Accessed September 14, 2014, from www.aypf.org/documents/RedefiningCollegeReadiness.pdf.

Cummins, Jim. 1999. “BICS and CALP: Clarifying the Distinction.” ERIC Document Reproduction Services. ED438551. 

Pollock, David and Ruth Van Reken. 1999. The Third Culture Kid Experience: Growing Up among Worlds. Yarmouth, Md.: Intercultural Press.

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Karen A. Wrobbel, EdD, served internationally for more than twenty years. Her roles included teacher, administrator, school board member, and agency-wide coordinator for children’s education. Currently, she is associate professor of education at Trinity International University.

EMQ, Vol. 52, No. 3 pp. 248-254. Copyright  © 2016 Billy Graham Center for Evangelism.  All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from EMQ editors.

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