Exploring the Effect of Xenoglossophobia on the Information Needs and Seeking Behavior of African Graduate Students

As the United States continues to provide an enabling environment for foreign students, one critical question that seems to be overlooked or not given sufficient attention in the literature is how African graduate students seek information and cater to their information needs as non-native English-speaking students in the United States. This study explores the effect of xenoglossophobia on the information needs and seeking behavior of African graduate students, using Nigerian and Ghanaian graduate students at the University of South Carolina, United States, as a case study. A purposive sampling was adopted for the study, and an online survey was designed and used for data collection. A total of thirty-six graduate students from Ghana and Nigeria participated in this study. The results of the study revealed a “high extent” of the negative effect of xenoglossophobia on the information needs and everyday information-seeking behavior of African graduate students. The study deepens current knowledge of the prevailing challenges faced by international students, thereby raising awareness among information workers, librarians, government agencies, and private organizations to intensify efforts in assisting foreign students to navigate the university experience abroad successfully.