A survey of 25 international students studying in Massachusetts colleges gathered information on 4 specific aspects of their American college experience (recruitment, orientation, adaptation, and acculturation) as well as about their experiences with English. In interviews, nine students said they had had no problems with the English language; four of these, native speakers of English or having had considerable English experience, later showed they did have some difficulty with American accents. Among the most common problems found were in aural comprehension, slang and colloquialisms, speed of others' speech, producing speech, understanding jokes, and speaking with people students felt were hostile. Students felt that in order to learn English better they needed to stay away from their fellow countrymen and converse with native English speakers. Other aids student found to be helpful were television, conversation, dictionaries, and writing. Students felt that the greater their own desire to learn was, the greater their success would be. (MSE)