Abstract Summary
In multilingual classes, social interaction in the context of friendships can be seen as a valuable resource for language acquisition. In this research we study the relationship between friendships in the classroom and the development of language proficiency of in children with German as their first or second language.
Abstract :
The literature on student migration has highlighted the link between interpersonal relations with host country nationals and students’ satisfaction with their study abroad experiences. In the past, Taiwanese students tended to choose English as a Native Language (ENL) countries as their study abroad destinations, and they often found themselves at a disadvantage in forming friendships with the locals due to language barriers. In recent years, with the increasing use of English as a lingua franca (ELF) in European universities, more and more Taiwanese students are travelling abroad on study sojourns to Europe. The question that motivated the current study was, “Whether and how does ELF facilitate the development of intercultural friendships in study abroad contexts from Taiwanese students’ perspectives?” The study addressed this question by investigating 30 Taiwanese exchange students’ experiences of forming friendships at European universities using a multiple-case study approach. The participants’ sojourns lasted from six months to one year. Each of them was interviewed multiple times before, during, and after their sojourn. This data was supplemented by questionnaire data collected from the participants at different points in time during their sojourns. Data analysis revealed that the participants’ perceptions of ELF had an impact on their friendship formation during the study sojourns. The analysis also identified a number of common characteristics of the friendships developed, as well as factors that facilitated or hindered the development.
