Journeys of intercultural learning through study abroad

Abstract

Study abroad experiences are beneficial for cultivating abilities of adapting to unforeseeable changes and tackling unfamiliar problems in new environments. This is especially true when study abroad is students’ voluntary decision. In this paper, focus group data gathered with undergraduate students (n = 39) at a university in Hong Kong will be used to explore how students’ implicit/explicit study abroad goals interacted with study/work and daily life experiences in facilitating attainment of intercultural, personal and academic/professional growth. Data will be explored using a conceptual framework that regards study abroad as an active process of intercultural experiential learning, in which students are motivated and regulated by study abroad goals in academic studies/work and daily life experiences in the host culture to attain desired learning outcomes. Preliminary analysis indicates that whereas some students had explicit goals and monitored their experiences according to such goals, others only had vague objectives. Further, students underwent changes in a number of ways because of their exposure to the host culture and the academic/working culture of their host institution. For instance, the majority of the students reported having enhanced understanding of the host culture and re-adjusted their study/work approaches and life style; and a few students reported that interaction with local peers challenged them to reflect on their identity as individuals from the Chinese culture or the wider Asian cultures, which they rarely considered before leaving Hong Kong. The data will be further explored in order to provide insights into the experiential learning process through study abroad. Mechanism for supporting study abroad students in setting goals relating to intercultural, personal and academic/career development, and to orient their intercultural actions toward such goals will also be discussed to draw practical educational implications.