A study examined the difficulties that 400 male Arab students, attending five universities in the District of Columbia, experienced with academic English while seeking college degrees. A survey investigated problems with nine aspects of English language proficiency: (1) expressing ideas correctly, (2) understanding lectures, (3) taking class notes, (4) understanding examination questions, (5) participating in class discussion, (6) writing reports, (7) understanding textbooks, (8) feeling embarrassed to speak English, and (9) giving oral reports. The study correlated responses to questions about these issues with three personal characteristics: age, marital status, and the amount of time spent in the United States prior to the current university registration. Results suggest that the length of time spent in the United States prior to enrollment is an important factor to academic English proficiency and performance, while marriage can be a negative factor in both proficiency and academic performance. The report suggests that family responsibilities isolate male students socially; it recommends that these students leave their families in their home countries, particularly in the initial stages of foreign study. Older Arab students were found to have more difficulty with English than younger students, presumably because of less flexibility and less interest in acculturation. (MSE)