Tokenism in Non-Native English Speakers: A Pilot Study

Authors

David A. Shwalb, Brigham Young University
Dr. Niwako Yamawaki, Brigham Young University

Keywords

Tokenism, non-native English speakers, international students, test-taking performance

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Psychology

Abstract

Over the past decade the number of international students enrolled in colleges and universities in the United States has increased dramatically (Bollag, 2004). Currently, over 572,509 international students are attending American colleges and universities (Bollag, 2004), with approximately 2,000 at Brigham Young University (Light, 2004). Researchers acknowledge the important relationship between English proficiency and academic success for international students, but often fail to recognize many other possible obstacles to the academic success of international students. The purpose of this study was to identify and gain a better understanding of one such issue, specifically the negative impact token status may have on international students’ test-taking performance.

Recommended Citation

Shwalb, David A. and Yamawaki, Dr. Niwako (2013) "Tokenism in Non-Native English Speakers: A Pilot Study," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2013: Iss. 1, Article 481.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2013/iss1/481