Intercultural Sojourns as Educational Experiences: A Narrative Study of the Outcomes of Finnish Student Teachers' Language-Practice Periods in Britain

Abstract

In today's globalized world, an increasing number of university students go abroad to work or study, and foreign language (FL) students are either obliged to or voluntarily choose to spend some time in countries where the target language is spoken. This narrative study focuses on what FL students think they learn during residence abroad, and how these sojourns affect their attitudes towards the target culture, themselves, and their home culture. Two Finnish students of English, both envisaging a career in teaching, were interviewed about the linguistic, cultural, and professional gains of their language-practice periods in Britain. The findings are presented as two stories. Although differences can be found in the participants' experiences, the results suggest that the intercultural sojourn begins as a trip abroad – to learn the language and discover another culture – but ends in learning most about one's self.