“I think I can see from another perspective now” – Short-Term Study Abroad and Intercultural Development

Foreign language study abroad has the potential to contribute to learners’ culture learning and the cultivation of their intercultural competence, as it gives them first-hand experience in the target-language country and allows them to discover and partake in the local community’s sociocultural prac...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Wai Meng Chan
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Prof Thomas Tinnefeld 2020-12-01
Series:Journal of Linguistics and Language Teaching
Subjects:
Online Access:https://linguisticsandlanguageteaching.blogspot.com/2020/10/blog-post_13.html
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1841560208177889280
author Wai Meng Chan
author_facet Wai Meng Chan
author_sort Wai Meng Chan
collection DOAJ
description Foreign language study abroad has the potential to contribute to learners’ culture learning and the cultivation of their intercultural competence, as it gives them first-hand experience in the target-language country and allows them to discover and partake in the local community’s sociocultural practices. This article presents a study of the impact of two short-term study abroad programmes in Germany on the intercultural development of German-language students from a Singapore university language centre. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach and collected both quantitative and qualitative data through pre- / post-programme questionnaires, journals, interviews, activity observations and document inspections. The data were analysed based on Byram’s (1997, 2008) model of intercultural competence, as well as Lave & Wenger’s (1991) Situated Learning Theory and their notion of legitimate peripheral participation. The findings suggest that the study abroad programmes, or “In-Country Language Immersions”, benefited learners in the development of the knowledge, attitudes and skills needed for the cultivation of critical cultural awareness and intercultural competence. It was further found that such positive development is often precipitated by the learners’ legitimate peripheral participation in the local communities, although it is dependent on their motivation and willingness to take up such opportunities for interaction and participation.
format Article
id doaj-art-ac0e5ef5923e4c62b482feb02f27b14a
institution Kabale University
issn 2190-4677
language deu
publishDate 2020-12-01
publisher Prof Thomas Tinnefeld
record_format Article
series Journal of Linguistics and Language Teaching
spelling doaj-art-ac0e5ef5923e4c62b482feb02f27b14a2025-01-04T17:32:50ZdeuProf Thomas TinnefeldJournal of Linguistics and Language Teaching2190-46772020-12-011110th Anniversary Issue 129154“I think I can see from another perspective now” – Short-Term Study Abroad and Intercultural DevelopmentWai Meng Chan0National University of SingaporeForeign language study abroad has the potential to contribute to learners’ culture learning and the cultivation of their intercultural competence, as it gives them first-hand experience in the target-language country and allows them to discover and partake in the local community’s sociocultural practices. This article presents a study of the impact of two short-term study abroad programmes in Germany on the intercultural development of German-language students from a Singapore university language centre. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach and collected both quantitative and qualitative data through pre- / post-programme questionnaires, journals, interviews, activity observations and document inspections. The data were analysed based on Byram’s (1997, 2008) model of intercultural competence, as well as Lave & Wenger’s (1991) Situated Learning Theory and their notion of legitimate peripheral participation. The findings suggest that the study abroad programmes, or “In-Country Language Immersions”, benefited learners in the development of the knowledge, attitudes and skills needed for the cultivation of critical cultural awareness and intercultural competence. It was further found that such positive development is often precipitated by the learners’ legitimate peripheral participation in the local communities, although it is dependent on their motivation and willingness to take up such opportunities for interaction and participation.https://linguisticsandlanguageteaching.blogspot.com/2020/10/blog-post_13.htmlforeign language learninggerman as a foreign languagestudy abroadintercultural developmentsituated learning theorylegitimate peripheral participation
spellingShingle Wai Meng Chan
“I think I can see from another perspective now” – Short-Term Study Abroad and Intercultural Development
Journal of Linguistics and Language Teaching
foreign language learning
german as a foreign language
study abroad
intercultural development
situated learning theory
legitimate peripheral participation
title “I think I can see from another perspective now” – Short-Term Study Abroad and Intercultural Development
title_full “I think I can see from another perspective now” – Short-Term Study Abroad and Intercultural Development
title_fullStr “I think I can see from another perspective now” – Short-Term Study Abroad and Intercultural Development
title_full_unstemmed “I think I can see from another perspective now” – Short-Term Study Abroad and Intercultural Development
title_short “I think I can see from another perspective now” – Short-Term Study Abroad and Intercultural Development
title_sort i think i can see from another perspective now short term study abroad and intercultural development
topic foreign language learning
german as a foreign language
study abroad
intercultural development
situated learning theory
legitimate peripheral participation
url https://linguisticsandlanguageteaching.blogspot.com/2020/10/blog-post_13.html
work_keys_str_mv AT waimengchan ithinkicanseefromanotherperspectivenowshorttermstudyabroadandinterculturaldevelopment