Sojourning in non-Anglophone Europe: a qualitative study of Taiwanese students’ English language identities

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article reports on a qualitative study of changes in the English language identities of thirteen Taiwanese exchange students attending non-Anglophone European universities. The study was guided by Benson et al.’s ([2013]. Second Language Identity in Narratives of Study Abroad. London: Palgrave Macmillan) framework for understanding developments of second language (L2) identities in study abroad contexts. This framework posits three dimensions of development: (1) identity-related L2 proficiency, (2) linguistic self-concept, and (3) L2-related personal competence. Analyses of data from pre-, during- and post-sojourn interviews with the students revealed a pattern of change in the students’ linguistic self-concepts: from a competent English language learner before departure to an inadequate English speaker in the early stages of their journeys, and then to a confident English as a lingua franca speaker and English language learner in the later stages. These changes were found to be intertwined with the students’ developments on the other two dimensions of the framework, allowing them to form their desired L2-mediated identities. The findings highlight the need for home universities to prepare students who are planning to study abroad in multilingual and multicultural settings.