A mixed-method study of language-learning motivation and intercultural contact of international students

Abstract

The mixed-method study presented in this paper investigates the changes in direct and indirect intercultural contact and language-learning attitudes and effort of international students in the United Kingdom. Seventy international learners of English were asked to fill in a questionnaire three times during one academic year in an international foundation program. An additional 10 students and two of their English language tutors were interviewed at the end of their study period. We analysed variations in language-learning motivation as well as in the frequency and type of contact the learners experienced at three distinct points of time during the international study programme. The results indicate that whereas written and media contact increased in frequency during the academic year, the participants engaged in less frequent spoken contact at the end of the period investigated. The qualitative and quantitative data show that contact experiences, socio-environmental factors and learner internal variables have a dynamic impact on each other and they together can play an important role in the language-learning experiences of international students.

Conversing in L2 English with Saudi Arabic (L1) Children at Home

“…This issue of first language loss is relatively a new concern when compared with what policymakers have considered as more important, namely acquisition of the language of the host society (Kormos, Csizér, & Iwaniec, 2014). This could be understandable in situations of permanent immigration.…”

Developing a Host Culture for International Students: What Does It Take?

“…This perceived lack of positive, substantial interaction between domestic and international students is a major challenge of internationalization (Arkoudis et al, 2010;Yates & Wahid, 2013). A lack of interaction between diverse students can slow international students' English language development (Etherington, 2014), reduce the opportunities for all students to gain global perspectives (Arkoudis et al, 2010), and result in feelings of dissatisfaction and isolation (Kormos, Csizér, & Iwaniec, 2014;Rochecouste & Oliver, 2014;Yates & Wahid, 2013). Additionally, peer interaction within learning environments is believed to aid comprehension of the learning material (Arkoudis et al, 2010;Etherington, 2014), assist academic achievement (Akanwa, 2015), and prepare students for intercultural workplaces (Etherington, 2014).…”

“…At the same time, researchers disagree on the role of proximity and familiarity in intercultural relations. Some highlight their potential for reducing biases (Bornstein, 1989, cited in Kormos, Csizér, & Iwaniec, 2014) and others warn that proximity can lead to homophilic behavior and feelings of threat (Dunne, 2013;Koen & Durrheim, 2010). These conflicting outcomes, then, emphasize that the result of interaction is not only uncertain but that interaction itself has risks when not managed actively.…”

Learners of English as a Second Language in Australia: Their Perceptions of Learning Environment and Factors Affecting Their Motivation

“…Studies were also extended to examine how L2 context affects the motivational changes. Kormos, Csizér and Iwaniec [21] investigated the change of motivation among the learners in a study-abroad program in the L2 learning environment. They studied 70 international students from a variety of ethnic backgrounds participated in a British international study program and attempted to identify the participants' motivational changes and the frequency and type of contact experiences with local native speakers over a period of one academic year.…”