The challenge of academic writing for Chinese students within ...

In 2003, I arrived in Liverpool and started with an intensive English course prior to
the planned master degree. On my arrival, I felt a mixture of excitement and anxiety.
It was just wonderful to be able to see blue skies (on non-rainy days) and vast green
areas around the campus. It was a huge contrast to Beijing‘s often murky skies which
most believe are a result of the pollution of heavy industries around the city and busy
traffic inside it. However, it was also a shock to discover that I only understood a few
words of English when I talked with British people. There were strange accents, a
faster speed of talking, and wider use of unfamiliar phrases. Even after first three
months, I was still struggling with English language proficiency. I then realised that it
was not possible for me to improve my language skills dramatically and develop a
deep understanding of British culture within a further year‘s taught master‘s degree.
Subsequently, the study plan was changed from a one-year master degree to a threeyear
undergraduate degree in IT. With a background of working in the IT industry and
prior knowledge, I did pretty well in the degree and eventually gained a first class
degree. However, during these three years I had to work extremely hard to support my
study financially due to the change in the study plan. My part time work ranged from
being a cleaner, restaurant waiter, chef, university library assistant, community
volunteer, IT technician to university tutor. These work experiences provided me with
not only the financial means but also an opportunity to get to know more about British
society and people.
Immediately after completing the undergraduate degree, I was awarded a full
scholarship to continue my study at the master‘s level in the same university. On the
completion of the master degree in Computer Science, I was offered a job as IT
Research and Support Specialist in the university.
The idea of conducting a research degree on Chinese undergraduate students‘
experience in the UK comes from both my professional interest and the importance of
such research. The research fulfils the requirements of a PhD degree, while at the
same time it is fulfilling the need of the institution as the whole. It addresses one of
the major priorities of the institution: the overriding need for the academic support of
overseas students.
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