A Mixed-Methods Study on the Challenges of Academic Writing in Chinese for Native English Speakers

An increasing number of English learners are entering the higher education sequence in China, and the issue of how these students can conduct Chinese academic writing in a standardized manner has become a widely discussed topic in academic circles.Although existing research has extensively discussed this, many English learners are in the stage of interdisciplinary learning, where related studies are less common.This study adopts a mixed-methods research approach, combining focus groups, questionnaire surveys, and structured interviews to delve into the experiences and challenges of students with Chinese as a second language in academic writing.The findings reveal various factors that affect students' academic writing experiences, including previous learning experiences, dissertation supervisors/school writing guidance institutions, structural differences between languages, and the impact of the Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK).These findings offer new perspectives on understanding the issues encountered by native English speakers in the Chinese academic environment and provide valuable insights for designing relevant guidance programs and teaching strategies.