'I felt that I do live in the UK now':international students' self-reports of their English language speaking experiences on a pre-sessional programme

Abstract

This article focuses on the English language experiences of a group of pre-sessional students, an under-represented group in the literature on language and education. In particular, it investigates the opportunities that such students have to use English outside the classroom, shown to be a key factor in student satisfaction with their study abroad experience. Drawing on data from questionnaires, interviews and on-line diaries, we show that students have a variety of opportunities to use English; however, these opportunities may require students to engage in complex negotiations right from the beginning of their sojourn in the UK. Micro-analysis of the data shows that agency is a key construct in understanding students' representations of their English encounters as they begin their lives in the UK. The article concludes with some suggestions as to how pre-sessional courses may develop students' linguistic and socio-cultural skills in order that they may interact successfully in English outside the classroom.

Publication DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2011.566617
Divisions: ?? 53981500Jl ??
College of Business and Social Sciences > School of Social Sciences & Humanities > Centre for Language Research at Aston (CLaRA)
College of Business and Social Sciences > School of Social Sciences & Humanities
Additional Information: This is a preprint of an article whose final and definitive form has been published in the Language and Education © 2011 Taylor & Francis; Language and Education is available online at: http://www.informaworld.com/openurl?genre=article&issn=0950-0782&volume=25&issue=3&spage=241
Uncontrolled Keywords: agency,intercultural communication,language learning,second language acquisition,international students,pre-sessional programmes
Publication ISSN: 1747-7581
Last Modified: 30 Sep 2024 09:55
Date Deposited: 11 Mar 2019 18:02
Full Text Link: http://www.info ... sue=3&spage=241
Related URLs: http://www.scop ... tnerID=8YFLogxK (Scopus URL)
PURE Output Type: Article
Published Date: 2011-05-01
Authors: Copland, F.
Garton, S. (ORCID Profile 0000-0002-7421-0858)

Download

[img]

Version: Accepted Version

| Preview

Export / Share Citation


Statistics

Additional statistics for this record