The Relationship Between Asian Students Studying Abroad and the Need for English Proficiency

Abstract:

              This paper will focus on the effect that studying abroad at a young age to learn English is affecting the Asian students comprehension of their first language. More countries are having an increase in English proficiency now that more parents are sending their children to study abroad.  Even though, billions of dollars are being used to fund English education in their home country, parents would rather send their children to study in foreign ones to become proficient in English. Since English proficiency has become a priority, the effect of the very abrupt adjustment when they start at their new school, they aren’t able to continue where they left off with their first language is going unnoticed.

Introduction:

                It’s not uncommon for parents to send their kids to foreign countries to receive the best education, but lately more and more kids from Asia are being sent abroad to not only to get a better education but to become fluent in a specific language: English. The language itself has become of high value in many countries, undergraduates/graduates have higher chances of getting better paying jobs. But the effect of them continuing their studies that they began in another country with a different curriculum, a different educating process, and a whole different language is overlooked. On the one hand, many see studying abroad as an great opportunity to experience and learn new things. On the other hand, doing it at such a young age for a long period of time could affect their understanding of their native tongue.

Research Question:

Does studying abroad to learn English as a second language as an adolescent affect Asian students’ comprehension of their first language?

Annotated Bibliography:

Yau Tsai1, en020@mail.fy.edu. t. “The Effects of Intercultural Learning on English Learning Motivation among Students Studying Abroad.” New Horizons in Education, vol. 60, no. 1, May 2012, pp. 23–34. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=76422862&site=ehost-live

This is a peer-reviewed journal taken from the OneSearch at Queens College Library, this article discusses the effect intercultural learning has on English learning motivation amid students studying abroad. This is significant to the topic because it contains information on the “intercultural learning” that the students receive while studying abroad. It shows how it affects their motivation to learn English, making them more or less English proficient.

 

Park, J. (2014). Cartographies of language: Making sense of mobility among Korean transmigrants in Singapore. Language and Communication, 39, 83-91.

This is a peer-reviewed journal taken from the OneSearch at Queens College Library, this article discusses how “transmigrants rely on linguistic difference as an important resource for making sense of their experiences of mobility.” It mentions how global mobility is a way for them to stay ahead of the job market that is rapidly changing, giving them the ability to adapt and learn new things, like the English language. It mentions how gaining a competence for English is one of the most important motivations for pre-university students to travel to another country leaving everything behind.

 

Yan, Alice. “Why Chinese Parents Are Sending Their Children Abroad to Study at a Younger Age.” South China Morning Post, South China Morning Post, 17 Jan. 2018, www.scmp.com/news/china/money-wealth/article/1747075/why-chinese-parents-are-sending-their-children-abroad-study

This is an online article from the South China Morning Post, in it the author, Alice Yan, mentions other reasons as to why parents in China are sending their children abroad. One of the other reasons is China’s basic education focusing more on their academic scores and neglecting the overall development of students. English education is one of the things they look for when choosing a school to send the to.

 

Muslimin, Anis. “Why Asian Countries Are Investing So Heavily In The English Language.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 1 Dec. 2017, www.forbes.com/sites/anismuslimin/2017/11/30/why-asian-countries-are-investing-so-heavily-in-the-english-language/#56ed6e9a5e85

This is an online articles from Forbes, in it the author , Anis Muslimin, explains why various countries are in investing in English education. This is significant to the topic as it covers the reasons behind the billions of funds being used to make their country more proficient in English. The effects of which benefit the countries’ prosperity greatly.

Koh Ping, Chong. “More Chinese Studying Abroad at a Younger Age.” The Straits Times, 23 Sept. 2016, www.straitstimes.com/asia/more-chinese-studying-abroad-at-a-younger-age

This is an online article from the The Straits Times, in it the author, Chong Koh Ping, gives similar reasons as to why parents in China are sending their children abroad. He also explains how it’s not only the Secondary schools that aren’t up to the parents’ standards but the universities as well. It  brings up the fears that the Chinese Ministry of Education has with so many Children leaving to study abroad before the age of 18.

 

Jeong Lee, Beong. “Early Study Abroad Students in Young Adulthood.” Language on the Move, 19 July 2017, www.languageonthemove.com/early-study-abroad-students-in-young-adulthood/

This is an online article from the Language on the Move, in it the author, Beong Jeong Lee brings up the term “English Fever” that is occurring in Korea. The logic that sending children to study abroad early behind how to sound fluent with the right accent is brought up but the author’s own experience where the author’s fellow student who has been studying abroad longer is why this article is significant to the topic. The student was fluent in Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills (BICS) in both English and Korean but she struggled with Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) in both languages.

 

Flege, J., Yeni-Komshian, G., & Liu, S. (1999). Age Constraints on Second-Language Acquisition. Journal of Memory and Language, 41(1), 78-104.

This is a peer-reviewed journal taken from the OneSearch at Queens College Library, this article discusses how the age that someone starts learning a second language (L2) is crucial. The older you are the harder it is for your brain to take in the new language. Tests were run for Korean arrivals with a minimum of 8 years residency under the age of 24 to test their accents. It was proven that those who were on the older side had lower scores and thicker accents. This study proves that the timing for learning a second language is crucial in order for them to become proficient in it.

 

Savicki, Victor. (2011). Relationship of Foreign Language Proficiency to Study Abroad Outcomes and Inputs. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 21, 63-85

This is a peer-reviewed journal taken from the OneSearch at Queens College Library, this article discusses the connection to the different levels of language proficiency and their outcomes that come with studying abroad. In it the author studies the relationship between the two and discovers how becoming proficient in a specific language isn’t the most important outcome. This is important because it’s what parent should be focusing on when choosing to send their child abroad.

 

Hardach, Sophie. “Future – Can You Lose Your Native Language?” BBC News, BBC, 8 June 2018, www.bbc.com/future/story/20180606-can-you-lose-your-native-language

This is an online article from the BBC News, in it the author, Sophie Hardach,  mentions how over time one’s “mother tongue” suffers from multiple factors. She mentions many studies that prove how many things can affect your first language, factors and examples that range from international adoption to trauma from the Holocaust. This is one of the effects studying abroad can have on students mother tongue, especially if they’re away for so long and do plan on returning to continue their career in their home country.