The linguistic and cultural experiences of Portuguese Erasmus+ students during their stay in Ostrava: Challenges and opportunities

• Authors: Teresa Maria Włosowicz

Abstracts

EN

The study investigates the linguistic and cultural experiences of Erasmus+ students from Portugal at the University of Ostrava in the Czech Republic. Special attention is paid to the chal- lenges encountered by the students in both communication and coping with cultural differences, as well as to their language needs, ways of communicating, attitudes towards the Czech culture, and the role of English in communication. The research tool was a questionnaire covering a number of questions related to the purpose of the study. As the results show, while the intercultural experience was generally enriching and the participants appreciated some interesting aspects of the Czech culture, they were particularly disappointed by the limited number of Czechs able to speak English and some of the academic teachers’ low levels of language proficiency in English. In fact, this is not limited to the lack of language skills, as communication problems can also lead to the perception of the interlocutor as unpleasant and unhelpful.

Keywords

EN

student mobility; intercultural experience; English as a lingua franca; developing intercultural skills

• Publisher: Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu
• Journal: Glottodidactica
• Year: 2022
• Volume: 49
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 181-205

Dates

published

2022

Contributors

author

Teresa Maria Włosowicz

• Wyższa Szkoła Ekonomiczno-Humanistyczna, Bielsko-Biała

• https://orcid.org/0000000187679332

References

• Agulhon, C. / Ennafaa, R. (2016). Les étudiants étrangers. Des trajectoires spécifiques? Les vies étudiantes. Tendances et inégalités. Paris: La Documentation française. https://hal.archives-ou-vertes.fr/hal-01455128 [access: 02.05.2018].
• Alserda, M. (2011). El choque cultural de la re-entrada. El proceso de re-adaptación de estudiantes que regresan a Holanda. Master's thesis. Utrecht: Université de Utrecht. https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/209047 [access: 02.05.2018].
• Bratuń, M. (2009). Introduction - The history of study tours: From the elitist Grand Tour to the egalitarian Erasmus. In: A. Szadok-Bratuń / M. Bratuń (eds.), Erasmus in 16 flavours, expeditions in search of educational seasoning (pp. 15-19) Wrocław: Uniwersytet Wrocławski.
• British Council (2013). Culture at work: The value of intercultural skills in the workplace. https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/culture-at-work-report-v2.pdf [access: 17.05.2022].
• Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and assessing intercultural competence. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
• Byram, M. (2008). From foreign language education to education for intercultural citizenship. Essays and reflections. Clevedon et al.: Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781847690807
• Carneiro, M.J. / Guerra, R. / Malta, P.A. (2005). Universidade de Aveiro - que papel na dinamização da mobilidade de estudantes no âmbito do ERASMUS? Revista Turismo e Desenvolvimento. Territórios, Empresas e Organizações, 2 (1), 149-155.
• Coste, D. / Moore, D. / Zarate, G. (1997). Compétence plurilingue et pluriculturelle. Langues vivantes. Vers un Cadre Européen Commun de référence pour l'enseignement et l'apprentissage des langues vivantes: études préparatoires. Strasbourg: Éditions du Conseil de l'Europe.
• Crystal, D. (2003). English as a global language. 2nd edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Engel, C. (2010). The impact of Erasmus mobility on the professional career: Empirical results of international studies on temporary student and teaching staff mobility. Belgeo. Revue belge degéographie, 4, 1-16. http://belgeo.revues.org/6399 [access: 10.04.2018].
• European Commission (2004). Promoting language learning and linguistic diversity. An action plan 2004-06. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.
• Hall, E.T. (1959). The silent language. New York: Doubleday.
• Hammer, M.R. / Bennett, M.J. / Wiseman, R. (2003). Measuring intercultural sensitivity: The inter- cultural development inventory. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 27 (4), 421-443.
• Jenkins, J. (2009). English as a lingua franca: Interpretations and attitudes. World Englishes, 28 (2), 200-207. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0147-1767(03)00032-4
• Kim, Y.Y. (2008). Intercultural personhood: Globalization and a way of being. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 32 (4), 359-368. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2008.04.005
• Kim, Y.Y. (2015). Finding a "home" beyond culture: The emergence of intercultural personhood in the globalizing world. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 46, 3-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2015.03.018
• Krzaklewska, E. / Krupnik, S. (2008). The role of the Erasmus programme in enhancing intercultural dialogue. Presentation of the results from the Erasmus Student Network Survey 2007. In: Proceedings of the 4th International Barcelona Conference on Higher Education, vol. 6: Higher education for multicultural dialogue and multiculturalism. Barcelona: GUNI. http://www.guni-rmies.net [access: 10.04.2018].
• Lantz-Deaton, C. / Golubeva, I. (2020). Intercultural competence for college and university students. A global guide for employability and social change. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57446-8
• Lipowski, M. (2012). Experience of Erasmus students studying in Poland. In: V. Dermol / N. Trunk Širca / G. Ɖaković / U. Lindav (eds.), Knowledge and learning: Global empowerment. Proceedings of the management, knowledge and learning international conference 2012. 20-22 June 2012 Celje Slovenia (pp. 751-758). Celje: International School for Social and Business Studies.
• Lipska, E. (2007). Mobilność studentów i kadr akademickich w świetle priorytetów strategii lizbońskiej. In: S. Szczurkowska / M. Łopaciński (eds.), Europejski wymiar edukacji w świetle projektu OBSER-Erasmus. Polscy studenci w uczelniach Europy (pp. 146-161). Warszawa: Wy- dawnictwo Wyższej Szkoły Pedagogicznej TWP w Warszawie.
• Majorek, M. / Wojniak, J. (2011). Dwadzieścia lat Erasmusa - doświadczenia, perspektywy, wyzwania. In: A.M. Kargol / W. Masiarz (eds.), Nietypowe migracje Polaków w XIX-XX w. (pp. 133-145). Kraków: Oficyna Wydawnicza AFM.
• Messelink, H.E. / Van Maele, J. / Spencer-Oatey, H. (2015). Intercultural competencies: What stu- dents in study and placement mobility should be learning. Intercultural Education, 26 (1), 62-72. Montrose, L. (2002). International study and experiential learning: The academic context. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 8, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/14675986.2015.993555
• Oberg, K. (1960). Culture shock: Adjustment to new cultural environment. Practical Anthropologist, 7, 177-182. https://doi.org/10.1177/009182966000700405
• Passarelli, A.M. / Kolb, D.A. (2012). Using experiential learning theory to promote student learning and development in programs of education abroad. In: M. Vande Berg / R.M. Paige / K. Hemming Lou (eds.), Student learning abroad: What our students are learning, what they're not, and what we can do about it (pp. 137-161). Sterling, VA: Stylus.
• Peckenpaugh, K. (2018). Unpacking the study abroad experience. An intercultural process. In: C. Sanz / A. Morales-Front (eds.), The Routledge handbook of study abroad research and practice (pp. 476-489). New York et al.: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315639970-32
• Sanz, C. / Morales-Front, A. (eds.) (2018). The Routledge handbook of study abroad research and practice. New York et al.: Routledge.
• Sercu, L. (2010). Assessing intercultural competence: More questions than answers. In: A. Paran / L. Sercu (eds.), Testing the untestable in language education (pp. 17-34). Bristol et al.: Multi- lingual Matters.
• Sobkowiak, P. (2021) Developing intercultural identity on a sojourn abroad: A case study. Studia Anglica Posnaniensia, 56, 149-179.
• Hammer, M.R. / Bennett, M.J. / Wiseman, R. (2003). Measuring intercultural sensitivity: The inter- cultural development inventory. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 27 (4), 421-443. Jenkins, J. (2009). English as a lingua franca: Interpretations and attitudes. World Englishes, 28 (2),
• Kim, Y.Y. (2008). Intercultural personhood: Globalization and a way of being. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 32 (4), 359-368.
• Kim, Y.Y. (2015). Finding a "home" beyond culture: The emergence of intercultural personhood in the globalizing world. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 46, 3-12.
• Krzaklewska, E. / Krupnik, S. (2008). The role of the Erasmus programme in enhancing intercul- tural dialogue. Presentation of the results from the Erasmus Student Network Survey 2007. In: Proceedings of the 4th International Barcelona Conference on Higher Education, vol. 6: Higher education for multicultural dialogue and multiculturalism. Barcelona: GUNI. http://www.guni- rmies.net [access: 10.04.2018].
• Lantz-Deaton, C. / Golubeva, I. (2020). Intercultural competence for college and university students. A global guide for employability and social change. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.
• Majorek, M. / Wojniak, J. (2011). Dwadzieścia lat Erasmusa - doświadczenia, perspektywy, wyzwa- nia. In: A.M. Kargol / W. Masiarz (eds.), Nietypowe migracje Polaków w XIX-XX w. (pp. 133-145). Kraków: Oficyna Wydawnicza AFM.
• Messelink, H.E. / Van Maele, J. / Spencer-Oatey, H. (2015). Intercultural competencies: What stu- dents in study and placement mobility should be learning. Intercultural Education, 26 (1), 62-72. Montrose, L. (2002). International study and experiential learning: The academic context. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 8, 1-15.
• Passarelli, A.M. / Kolb, D.A. (2012). Using experiential learning theory to promote student lear- ning and development in programs of education abroad. In: M. Vande Berg / R.M. Paige /
• K. Hemming Lou (eds.), Student learning abroad: What our students are learning, what they're not, and what we can do about it (pp. 137-161). Sterling, VA: Stylus.
• Peckenpaugh, K. (2018). Unpacking the study abroad experience. An intercultural process. In: C. Sanz / A. Morales-Front (eds.), The Routledge handbook of study abroad research and practice (pp. 476-489). New York et al.: Routledge.
• Sobkowiak, P. (2021) Developing intercultural identity on a sojourn abroad: A case study. Studia Anglica Posnaniensia, 56, 149-179. https://doi.org/10.2478/stap-2021-0029
• Szadok-Bratuń, A. (2009). Postface - The right to education in "three Bologna lessons" - anniver- sary meditations. In: A. Szadok-Bratuń, / M. Bratuń (eds.), Erasmus in 16 flavours, expeditions in search of educational seasoning (pp. 285-312). Wrocław: Uniwersytet Wrocławski.
• Szczepaniak-Kozak, A. / Wąsikiewicz-Firlej, E. / Lankiewicz, H. (2022). Global English versus local language during a sojourn abroad: A narrative study. Journal of Intercultural Communication, 22 (2), 53-63. https://doi.org/10.36923/jicc.v22i2.58
• Szczurkowska, S. (2007). Europa anglojęzyczna czy różnorodność językowa? In: S. Szczurkowska / M. Łopaciński (eds.), Europejski wymiar edukacji w świetle projektu OBSER-Erasmus. Polscy studenci w uczelniach Europy (pp. 35-51). Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Wyższej Szkoły Pedago- gicznej TWP w Warszawie.
• Tian, M. / Lowe, J.A. (2014). Intercultural identity and intercultural experiences of American stu- dents in China. Journal of Studies in International Education, 18 (3), 281-297. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315313496582
• Vande Berg, M. / Paige R.M. / Hemming Lou, K. (2012). Student learning abroad: What our students are learning, what they're not, and what we can do about it. Sterling, VA: Stylus.
• Vogl, U. (2014). "Als u meer talen kent, lijdt uw moedertaal": studenten Nederlands en hun visie op taal ["When you know more than one language, your mother tongue suffers": students of Dutch and their view on language]. In : F. Van de Velde / H. Smessaert / F. Van Eynde / https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt14jxsr0.55
• S. Verbrugge (eds.), Patroon en argument. Een dubbelfeestbundel bij het emeritaat van William Van Belle en Joop van der Horst (pp. 759-770). Leuven: Universitaire Pers Leuven.
• Vogl, U. (2018). Standard language ideology and multilingualism: Results from a survey among European students. European Journal of Applied Linguistics, 6 (2), 185-208. https://doi.org/10.1515/eujal-2016-0016
• Walker, E. (2016). Étudiants étrangers, quels séjours pour quelles réussites ? In: S. Landrier / P. Cor- dazzo / C. Guégnard (eds.), Études, galères et réussites. Conditions de vie et parcours à l'université. Paris: La Documentation française.
• Watkins, H. / Smith, R. (2018). Thinking globally, working locally: Employability and internatio- nalization at home. Journal of Studies in International Education, 22 (3), 210-224. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315317751686

Identifiers

DOI

10.14746/gl.2022.49.2.08

Biblioteka Nauki

15010278