“They Didn’t Know What To Do With Me”: Transitioning From High School To University Language Study

Abstract

Despite substantial efforts to develop foreign language learning pipelines, little is known about students’ experiences moving between levels of education. This is particularly true for less commonly taught languages, where pre-tertiary learning is considered crucial for graduating students at higher levels of proficiency. This qualitative case study examines how four L2 learners of Arabic transition from their high school classrooms to university programs. Adopting a grounded theory approach to analyze survey and focus group data, three key themes emerge: initial (dis)orientation in the tertiary setting, classroom (dis)harmony as students navigate new norms, and retrospective appreciation for their high school learning environments. The results illustrate that university programs seem to lack appropriate measures to accommodate pipeline learners. Likewise, high school programs are not doing enough to familiarize students with the learning opportunities ahead. The findings have implications for programs, teachers, and students on both sides of these periods of transition.