'I felt that I do live in the UK now': International students' self-reports of their english language speaking experiences on a pre-sessional programme

Citation

Copland F & Garton S (2011) 'I felt that I do live in the UK now': International students' self-reports of their english language speaking experiences on a pre-sessional programme. Language and Education, 25 (3), pp. 241-255. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2011.566617

Abstract
This article focuses on the English language experiences of a group of pre-sessional students, an under-represented group in the literature on language and education. In particular, it investigates the opportunities that such students have to use English outside the classroom, shown to be a key factor in student satisfaction with their study abroad experience. Drawing on data from questionnaires, interviews and on-line diaries, we show that students have a variety of opportunities to use English; however, these opportunities may require students to engage in complex negotiations right from the beginning of their sojourn in the UK. Micro-analysis of the data shows that agency is a key construct in understanding students' representations of their English encounters as they begin their lives in the UK. The article concludes with some suggestions as to how pre-sessional courses may develop students' linguistic and socio-cultural skills in order that they may interact successfully in English outside the classroom.

Keywords
agency; intercultural communication; language learning; second language acquisition; international students; pre-sessional programmes

Journal
Language and Education: Volume 25, Issue 3