This paper addresses how the intercultural experiences of L2 Saudi females were different to L2 learners of other nationalities. It sheds light on some incidents that have helped learners become interculturally competent, and concludes by proposing future directions.
Although many studies have investigated the influence of studying abroad on the identities of L2 learners, none have looked at Saudi female identity development during a study abroad sojourn. The voices of Saudi female study abroad learners of English are heard in relation to the positive and negative experiences they had in Ireland. Using semistructured interviews, the narrative data of six students were collected every three months over a period of nine months. The most recurring themes in the participants’ data were social interaction, anxiety about events at the language institute, and the benefits of thestudy abroad experience. Generally, the lack of intercultural competence between teachers and learners was believed to be the cause of their negative experiences. All participants agreed that (1) they expanded their love for their country and religion and felt anxious when teachers spoke negatively about them, (2) they were more enthusiastic about interacting with international students than native speakers and (3) they felt that studying abroad had developed their personalities.
