Language and intercultural peer interactions: Vietnamese students in Taiwan’s bilingual academic settings |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Research Methods and Diagnosis in Education, Facultad de Educación, Economía y Tecnología de Ceuta, University of Granada, c/ Cortadura del valle s/n 51001 Ceuta, Spain;2. Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, University of Granada, Campus Universitario de la Cartuja, s/n 18071 Granada, Spain;3. Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, University of Granada, Campus Universitario de la Cartuja, s/n 18071 Granada, Spain;4. Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, University of Granada, Campus Universitario de la Cartuja, s/n 18071 Granada, Spain;1. University of Essex, United Kingdom;2. Centre for Applied Cross-Cultural Research, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand;1. The University of Texas at San Antonio, USA;2. University of Washington, USA;3. Boston University, USA;4. Florida International University, USA;5. Boston College, USA;6. Brown University, USA |
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| Abstract: | This study examines Vietnamese students’ experiences of language choice practices in intercultural interactions with their local Taiwanese peers. Data were gathered from semi-structured interviews with students from five different Taiwanese universities where both English and Mandarin Chinese are used as mediums of instruction and communication. Findings suggest that the students frequently used English as a language of neutrality to communicate with local students, which either connected them with or disconnected them from their peers. They, whereas, considered Mandarin as a language of convergence, which helped them to get closer to their Taiwanese friends. They also occasionally made use of Vietnamese—a language of divergence—to a small extent to connect with their local peers. As international students seem to be the ones who often put more effort into addressing the linguistic and cultural gaps and improving the communication effectiveness compared with their local counterparts, it is recommended that local students should play a more proactive role in using proper accommodation strategies to connect with international students. Internationalised universities should also contribute to building a healthy and inclusive intercultural environment for international and local students and facilitating respectful and effective intercultural interactions among them. |
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| Keywords: | Language choice Intercultural communication Peer interaction Intercultural interaction Accommodation International students Language practices |
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