Multilingual International Students at a Canadian University: Portraits of Agency

This paper draws on the theoretical concepts of individual agency and academic buoyancy to explore ways in which three multilingual international students responded overcame challenges they encountered while studying at a university Canada. investigation is situated within against discourses deficit disruption that have traditionally surrounded accounts who use English as an additional language (EAL) institutions higher education. Methodologically conceptualized through lens portraiture, focuses identifying goodness participants, this presents portraits with attention physical sociocultural contexts where were embedded. Individual semi-structured interviews observations host institution conducted order gain in-depth understanding students’ experiences. Findings indicate complex, found primarily linguistic, academic, social dimensions, originating from both structural factors. Simultaneously, strategized employed by seeking support conventional alternative refusing conform institutional expectations. concluded discussion about importance considering context when examining student agency.