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Article In: Study Abroad Research in Second Language Acquisition and International Education: Online-First Articles

Developing intercultural awareness through participating in exchange programs

A case study of a Taiwanese graduate student in the Netherlands

ORCiD logo with link | National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
 | National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
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Abstract
As studying abroad in overseas universities is regarded as a major means of internationalizing higher education by enriching students’ language and cultural experiences, the number of Asian students participating in exchange programs in non-Anglophone countries has increased dramatically in the past few years. To enrich the empirical understanding of Asian student sojourners in non-Anglophone universities, the study investigated a Taiwanese student’s intercultural development while participating in a six-month exchange program in the Netherlands. Employing a qualitative case study methodology, the study collected data in the participant’s pre-sojourn, during-sojourn, and post-sojourn phases through multiple sources, including semi-structured interviews, reflection journals, and informal conversations. The findings suggest that the participant shifted from basic cultural awareness to advanced cultural awareness and intercultural awareness. These findings have implications for incorporating intercultural education in internationalized universities.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Short-term student sojourners
  • 3.Theoretical framework: Intercultural awareness
  • 4.Methodology
    • 4.1Data collection
    • 4.2Data analysis
    • 4.3Trustworthiness
  • 5.Findings
    • 5.1Profile of the focal student Astor
    • 5.2Astor’s language and cultural awareness at the pre-sojourn stage
    • 5.3Astor’s intercultural development through the SA sojourn
      • 5.3.1Developing an advanced cultural awareness through academic interaction
      • 5.3.2Developing advanced and intercultural awareness through social interaction
  • 6.Discussion
  • 7.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
References (45)
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