Minority, Low-Income Students: Study Abroad and Global Studies Experiences
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36366/frontiers.v36i3.824Keywords:
Global studies, language and identity, minority learners, study abroad, transcultural and translingual practiceAbstract
International education has focused on the learning processes of minority, low-income college students and learners of color. This study analyzes the experiences of nine minority, first-generation U.S. undergraduates from a four-year college in the southeastern U.S. who pursued study abroad and Global Studies during 2015-2022. Global Studies is an enrichment opportunity offered to students to build their linguistic and intercultural competence. Closed-ended questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and course materials were collected. Canagarajah’s (2013) notion of transcultural practice, in conjunction with Kramsch’s (2009) concept of symbolic competence and Norton’s (1995) theory of investment were used to explore these students’ experiences while interacting with the target language and culture. The findings reveal how the student participants’ linguistic and sociocultural identities developed as they negotiated their different positionings. Students demonstrated a newfound meaning and symbolic value in the language and culture that they engaged with. Students’ reflections on issues of inclusiveness and social justice are discussed.
Abstract in SpanishLa educación internacional se ha enfocado en los procesos de aprendizaje de los estudiantes universitarios de color de bajos ingresos. Este estudio analiza las experiencias de nueve estudiantes universitarios estadounidenses de primera generación, pertenecientes a minorías, de una universidad de cuatro años en el sureste de los EE. UU. Estos estudiantes realizaron estudios en el extranjero y “Global Studies” (Estudios Globales) durante el período 2015-2022. Global Studies es una oportunidad de enriquecimiento que se ofrece a los estudiantes para desarrollar su competencia lingüística e intercultural. Se recopilaron cuestionarios demográficos, entrevistas semiestructuradas y materiales del curso académico. La noción de práctica transcultural de Canagarajah (2013), junto con el concepto de competencia simbólica de Kramsch (2009) y la teoría de la inversión de Norton (1995) se utilizaron para explorar las experiencias de estos estudiantes mientras interactuaban con la lengua y la cultura extranjera. Los hallazgos revelaron que las identidades lingüísticas y socioculturales de los participantes se desarrollaron a medida que negociaban sus diferentes posiciones. Los estudiantes identificaron un nuevo significado y valor simbólico en el idioma y la cultura con los que interactuaron. Se discuten las reflexiones de los estudiantes sobre cuestiones de inclusión y justicia social.
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