English-language acculturation predicts academic performance in nursing students who speak english as a second language

Abstract

Students who speak English as a second language (ESL) face considerable challenges in English language universities, but little is known about the relationship between English-language acculturation and academic performance. A prospective, correlational design was used to validate the English Language Acculturation Scale (ELAS), a measure of the linguistic aspect of acculturation, and to determine the relationship between English-language acculturation and academic achievement among 273 first-year nursing students. Exploratory factor analyses demonstrated that the ELAS was a valid and reliable measure (α = .89). When ELAS scores were examined in relation to students' grades students with the lowest ELAS scores also had the lowest mean subject grades, highlighting the need to place a greater emphasis on identifying English-language acculturation among ESL students.