What support do international doctoral students claim they need to improve their academic writing in English?

Abstract

Novice scholars from non-native English-speaking (NNES) backgrounds tend to encounter challenges in their doctoral education related to scholarly writing in English. This study investigated the support that NNES doctoral students perceive as crucial for achieving their desired proficiency in English academic writing (EAW). A survey was conducted during the 2021–2022 academic year, involving 255 NNES international doctoral students studying in 65 English medium PhD programs across Hungary. Volunteers from 49 countries, representing 48 languages, participated in the study. An analysis of their responses to an open question revealed that the majority felt a need for support in enhancing their EAW skills. Very few believed they could already produce publishable texts or that the support of their doctoral schools was sufficient. Most participants recognized specific areas where improvement was necessary and took full responsibility for their progress. Thus, findings of this study align with previous quantitative analyses involving the same participants and the conceptual metaphors they provided, emphasizing the high demand for support in developing English academic writing skills (Phyo et al, 2022a, 2022b).