This paper explores higher education students' beliefs and attitudes concerning language learning and use in the context of learning mobility, when lingua francasincluding English -are used. Data were collected through a questionnaire administered to 141 Erasmus students at an Italian University. The open-ended questions were analysed using a constructivist grounded theory approach, and findings checked against the quantitative data. The analysis distinguishes between respondents' beliefs, that is, overt convictions influencing learning behaviour, and attitudes operating below the level of awareness. Findings address three main issues: (1) the apparent contradiction between the respondents' attitudes and beliefs regarding the opinion that lingua francas offer valuable language-learning opportunities; (2) their implicit questioning of the language-culture nexus; and (3) the study sheds light on code choice and negotiation.Keywords: lingua francas, native vs non-native speakers, English as a lingua franca, language attitudes, study abroad Questo articolo esamina le convinzioni e atteggiamenti degli studenti universitari in materia di apprendimento e utilizzo delle lingue in contesto di mobilità, quando tali lingue -compreso l'inglese -vengono usate come lingue franche. I dati sono stati raccolti attraverso un questionario somministrato a 141 studenti Erasmus presso un'università italiana. Le domande aperte sono state analizzate con un approccio costruttivista ispirato alla grounded theory; i risultati sono stati quindi verificati sui dati quantitativi. Lo scopo dell'analisi era distinguere le convinzioni degli intervistati (le credenze esplicite che influenzano le modalità di apprendimento) e gli atteggiamenti che operano al di sotto del livello di consapevolezza. I risultati riguardano tre aree: (1) l'apparente contraddizione tra ciò che gli intervistati credono (convinzioni) e i loro atteggiamenti per quanto riguarda le opportunità di apprendimento linguistico offerto dal comunicare tramite lingue franche; (2) la loro implicita messa in discussione del nesso lingua-cultura; infine, (3) le dinamiche connesse alla scelta e alla negoziazione del codice
The study presented in this article aims to explore if and how intercultural learning may take place in students' class interaction. It is grounded in the assumption that interculturality is not a clear-cut feature inherent to interactions occurring when individuals with presumed different linguistic and cultural/ national backgrounds talk to each other, but that interculturality is co-constructed during interaction. In other words, every 'interdiscourse interaction' is potentially intercultural. We have assumed this perspective while investigating student-student class interactions that took place in an intercultural education course aimed at enhancing students' intercultural learning in view of their sojourn abroad. Interactional data were analysed from the perspective of conversation analysis. Then, drawing on the notion of séquence potentiellement acquisitionelle as well as on a constructivist approach to intercultural learning, we conclude that, in interaction with their peers, learners can co-construct 'potential intercultural learning sequences' (PILS), which present recognisable interactional and discursive features.
This case study paper focuses on the processes of adaptation that an Erasmus student, Angela, experienced during her study abroad period. It is a longitudinal study that explores how she coped over time with the various adaptation demands that she faced in the different aspects of her life: social-personal aspects (friends and social life, daily life, language for socialisation) and academic aspects (courses, administrative issues, language for academic purposes). The data gathered involved pre-departure and post return interviews, weekly "diary-tables" and monthly interviews while abroad. The findings show that Angela's adaptive journey followed noticeably different trends in the personal and academic domains of her life, demonstrating clearly how adaptation can evolve at different speeds in these different domains, and can result in ups and down throughout the sojourn. Even an aspect such as language was perceived differently in the two overarching domains. Further research, involving a much larger group of respondents, is needed in order to identify whether there are more generalised patterns within these various domains, or whether the patterns are always subject to significant individual and contextual variation. Moreover, further qualitative research is needed in order to understand the reasons that lie behind the ups and downs within each of the domains, and the extent to which they seem to be idiosyncratic or predictable.Il presente articolo riporta un caso di studio e si concentra sui processi di adattamento di una studentessa Erasmus, Angela, durante il suo periodo di studio all'estero. Si tratta di uno studio longitudinale che esplora le esigenze di adattamento avute da Angela in base a diversi aspetti della sua vita: gli aspetti socio-personali (gli amici e la vita sociale, la vita quotidiana, il linguaggio della socializzazione) e gli aspetti accademici (i corsi, le questioni amministrative e quelle legate alla lingua per scopi accademici). I dati sono stati raccolti attraverso interviste condotte prima della partenza e dopo il ritorno, una serie di "tabelle-diario" settimanali e alcune interviste mensili realizzate durante il soggiorno. I risultati mostrano che l'adattamento di Angela segue andamenti diversi nell'ambito personali e in quello accademico. Questo mostra chiaramente come l'adattamento può evolversi a velocità differenti in questi diversi ambiti, e può risultare in "alti e bassi" durante l'intero soggiorno. Anche un aspetto come la lingua è stato percepito in modo differente a seconda che l'ambito fosse personale o accademico. Sarebbero necessarie ulteriori ricerche che coinvolgessero un gruppo molto più ampio di partecipanti; ciò consentirebbe di verificare se ci sono andamenti più generalizzati all'interno di questi vari domini, o se gli andamento sono comunque sempre soggetti a significative variazioni individuali e contestuali. Inoltre, un'ulteriore ricerca * Corresponding author. Email: ana.beaven@unibo.it qualitativa sarebbe necessaria al fine di comprendere le ragioni che...
The focus of this paper is the writing center: its users as well as its function within a given context. Four semesters of data were examined for the purpose of identifying trends in writing center usage and assessing how these have fulfilled the stated objectives of the center at the time it was founded. It was discovered that more than half of all users were either graduate students or members of faculty, suggesting a vital role for the center in assisting emerging and established scholars in bringing their work to publication. The data also revealed that the vast majority of writing center users came in search of assistance with editing, indicating that users regard the service as product-oriented.
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