'They Are Friendly, but then there is a Wall': Expectations vs Experiences of Interacting in Academic and Social Spaces: Undergraduate Perspectives

Winiarska-Pringle, I. (2021) 'They Are Friendly, but then there is a Wall': Expectations vs Experiences of Interacting in Academic and Social Spaces: Undergraduate Perspectives. BALEAP Professional Interest Meeting on 'Integration', 27 Mar 2021.

Abstract

Study Abroad (SA) experience can contribute the development of students’ intercultural knowledge, independence, and in particular linguistic gain in the target language (Benson, 2013). Indeed, research into the expectations of mobility students often highlights improvement in speaking skills as the prime motivation behind the decision to go abroad (Magnan & Back, 2007; Goldoni, 2013). Yet, the realities of being a target language user in academic and social spaces can prove such expectations to be unrealistic, as immersion without opportunities for practice in and outside of classrooms tends to be insufficient for significant improvements in linguistic proficiency ( Blaj-Ward, 2016 DeKeyser, 2007; Goldoni, 2013, Tran & Pham, 2016 ) leading to frustration, disappointment and a sense of isolation. This presentation will explore some of the key themes emerging from a scholarship project exploring international students’ expectations and experiences of engaging in spoken interactions in formal academic environments (EAP and content courses), informal academic spaces (e.g. study groups) and social interactions. The project involved undergraduate Study Abroad students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds who attended in-sessional credit-bearing EAP courses at the University of Glasgow in 2019. My intention was to gain a better understanding of the undergraduate teaching and learning context in my institution and contribute to the development of the course design. While some themes emerging from the study are similar to those reported in the SA literature, (e.g. integration issues with home students), others were unexpected and led to the changes of the curriculum and assessment rebalancing of the focus between oracy and literacy.

• Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Winiarska-Pringle, Mrs Iwona
• Authors: Winiarska-Pringle, I.
• Subjects: P Language and Literature > PE English
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Modern Languages and Cultures > Language Centre

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