Jane Jackson

Intercultural learning on short‐term sojourns

This paper presents an ethnographic case study of advanced second language (L2) students from Hong Kong who took part in a short‐term sojourn in England after 14 weeks of preparation. While abroad, they lived with a host family, took literary/cultural studies courses, visited cultural sites, participated in debriefing sessions, and conducted ethnographic projects. Data consisted of interviews, an intercultural reflections journal, surveys, field notes, ethnographic conversations and a diary. The Intercultural Development Inventory measured their intercultural sensitivity on entry, after the pre‐sojourn preparation, and post‐sojourn. The findings supported the primary assumption that underpins the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity: ‘as one’s experience of cultural difference becomes more complex and sophisticated, one’s competence in intercultural relations increases’.

Cultivating cosmopolitan, intercultural citizenship through critical reflection and international, experiential learning

Abstract This paper explores the notion of cosmopolitan, intercultural citizenship in relation to intercultural education and study abroad. As part of a larger investigation of the second language sojourn, the individual developmental trajectories of more than 100 Chinese university students were examined to better understand their language and intercultural learning and identity expansion. This paper presents an illustrative case study of a young woman who took significant steps toward a more sophisticated, cosmopolitan self through deep reflection and intercultural interaction in localized, global spaces. Critical cultural awareness and experiential learning (both at home and abroad) were key elements in her journey toward intercultural, global citizenship, intercultural communicative competence, and a broader, more balanced, sense of self.

Preparing students for the global workplace: the impact of a semester abroad

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, employers are seeking ‘global-ready graduates,’ that is, individuals with an intercultural mindset, who can interact effectively and appropriately with people from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. In response, tertiary institutions are creating more opportunities for international experience. This article centers on a mixed-method study that investigated the impact of a semester-long international exchange program on the global-readiness of Chinese university students. Whereas the experimental group experienced gains in intercultural competence, second language self-efficacy, and global-mindedness, the control group (students on the home campus prior to study abroad) regressed slightly. The analysis of the qualitative data revealed multifarious elements that led to these differing outcomes.

Reality-based decision cases in ESP teacher education: Windows on practice

Abstract This paper is a rationale and framework for the use of case studies in ESP teacher education. It explores why and how reality-based cases can revitalize teacher education programs that are specifically designed to prepare teachers for the problems they could encounter as ESP practitioners. In particular, the following questions are addressed: (1) Why should ESP teacher educators consider using the case method in their programs? (2) What are reality-based decision cases? (3) What are the attributes of “best” ESP teaching cases? (4) What are the benefits of analyzing ESP teaching cases? (5) What issues might ESP teaching cases highlight? (6) How might cases be used in ESP teacher education programs to promote the skills teachers will need for successful ESP practice? (7) How might ESP teacher educators overcome the difficulties involved in implementing case-based teaching? (8) What is the promise of case-based learning in the preparation of ESP practitioners? Appendices include sources of case materials for teacher education programs.

Language and Cultural Immersion: An Ethnographic Case Study:

This paper focuses on an evaluative, ethnographic case study of an English language and cultural immersion programme for Hong Kong university students. Prior to a five-week sojourn in England, the 15 English majors completed a survey and interview to determine their expectations and concerns. While in Oxford, they took courses in an English Language Centre, investigated a cultural scene of their choice, visited cultural/literary sites, took part in informal activities with international students, and lived with a British family. They reflected on their experiences across cultures, including stressful or confusing encounters, in a diary. During the sojourn, the researcher (their ethnography teacher) observed, photographed, and recorded their behavior in field notes and gathered additional information by way of informal discussions. Post-sojourn, the students filled in a questionnaire and offered their perceptions about their experiences in interviews and a series of debriefing sessions. The analysis of the triangulated data helped to understand the sojourn better from the students’ perspectives and suggested speci-fic issues that should be addressed in future pre-departure intercultural communications seminars. The paper aims to illustrate the valuable role that ethnographic research can play in programme evaluation and enhancement.

Stylistic variations in science lectures: Teaching vocabulary

Abstract This paper described an empirical study of vocabulary teaching in science lectures. Twenty lectures by native speaker geology lecturers to nonnative speaker students were transcribed, and 921 instances of vocabulary elaboration were found, showing an average frequency of occurrence of one elaboration per minute. They were coded onto a computer database according to 20 linguistic features, and information was obtained on lexical density, the forms of elaboration, and the distribution of discourse markers and sentence connectors associated with them. Noticeable variation was found between lecturers in the range and technicality of their language, the patterning of vocabulary elaboration, the amount and type (verbal, prosodic, graphic) of signalling used, and their employment of analogies. The analysis also revealed aspects of contextualised vocabulary teaching that could pose problems for students, viz. ambiguity, verbal mazes, lack of explicit marking, exotic analogies and register shifts to culturally unfamiliar “everyday vocabulary.” In light of these findings, we argue for tailor-made courses in any EFL setting with a stable staff and student population, but suggest some alternatives for less fortunate EAP instructors.

Adjusting to Differing Cultures of Learning: The Experience of Semester-Long Exchange Students from Hong Kong

Institutions of higher education across the globe are increasingly signing agreements to facilitate cross-border education. This is providing more opportunities for students to experience new ways of being; in some cases, this includes exposure to a second language on a daily basis. While many administrators are preoccupied with increasing the participation rate in international exchange programs, it is imperative that we pay attention to what actually transpires when students move to another cultural and linguistic context to study. By understanding the challenges they face in and outside of classrooms, educators will be in a better position to design pre-sojourn programs and determine the most effective ways to support the learning, intercultural experience and second language development during stays abroad.

‘Breathing the smells of native-styled English’: a narrativized account of an L2 sojourn

ABSTRACT This article centers on the developmental trajectory of a young woman who took part in a study that tracked the language and intercultural development of international exchange students from a Hong Kong university. ‘Serena’, a translation (Chinese–English) major, took steps toward a more intercultural mindset while studying in England. Compared with many of the other participants, she displayed a more positive attitude toward the host language and culture, developed a more diverse social network, and gained more access to local communities of practice. Over time, she became more open-minded and invested in her intercultural relationships which she mediated through English. Weaving together the rich oral and written data related to her case, this paper presents a narrative of her ‘international story’. Her lived experiences and the subjective meanings invoked raise awareness of individual characteristics, attributes, and agency that can facilitate second language learning and intercultural development. By drawing comparisons with the stories of her peers, this narrativized account also points to the impact of external elements on sojourn outcomes.

“Unpacking” International Experience through Blended Intercultural Praxis

Shortly after returning home, while my experience was still fresh and profound, I was overflowed with numerous things that I wanted to share with my friends; yet, many times I just swallowed my words due to my friends’ uninterested response.

When ‘domestic’ and ‘international’ students study abroad: reflections on language learning, contact, and culture

ABSTRACT The present study examines the language- and culture-learning perceptions of domestic and international students from a Canadian university who participated in an intensive four-week-long Spanish language and cultural immersion program in Spain. The study draws on quantitative and qualitative data to explore the ways in which the participants’ previous international, language learning experiences influenced their acculturation in Spain. A language history questionnaire, a language contact profile, and an open-ended questionnaire offered insight into the participants’ experience abroad, their perceptions of language and intercultural learning, and their identified cultural representations on which they drew to make sense of the new environment. We review key findings and offer suggestions for the enhancement of study abroad programs of this nature.