RESEARCH QUESTION:
How can young people achieve their possible selves and shape their self-identity when they are living in a foreign country?
With globalisation, many people have experiences of living abroad for studying or working and this can be a chance for them to develop themselves and learn different skills. However, there are many issues they will meet when they are living abroad such as housing instability, language problems, culture shock, homesickness. This project aims to help young people achieve their possible selves and shape their self-identity when they are living in a foreign country.
STAKEHOLDERS:
People who live in a foreign country (NEED HELP)
Local communities/organisations
Local citizens
INTERVIEWEES
- Shaun: An Australian who is living in Colombia.
- Jonathan: An Australian who has experience of living in China.
- Deborah: An British who is living in Greek.
OBJECTS:
Language help
Culture
PLAN OF INTERVENTIONS:
- Online event: experience sharing, language learning to test if people’s self-identity can be improved when be encouraged by native speakers.
- Long term – Online community: Provide help before going to a foreign country and after arriving in a foreign country.
Living in a foreign country (People’s experience in comments)
- Lose the majority of your friends
- New friends come and go (Passing through destination)
- Go home or go somewhere new
Norton (2000) defined identity as “how a person understands his or her relationship to the world, how that relationship is constructed across time and space, and how the person understands possibilities for the future” (p. 5).
Self-presentation is defined as “behavior that attempts to convey some information about oneself or some image of oneself to other people” (Baumeister & Hutton, 1987, p. 71)
Self-presentation in a second language is not always easy: Research has shown that learners may feel that they are treated as small children by native speakers (e.g., Pellegrino, 2005) and, as a result, may feel that they have a “reduced personality” (Harder, 1980) or even that they are less intelligent because of their lack of proficiency in the target language, which may prevent them from presenting their complete personality in the second language environment.
DU, H., 2015. American College Students Studying Abroad in China: Language, Identity, and Self-Presentation. Foreign Language Annals, 48(2), pp. 250-266.
Discover a new culture
Learn a new language “a different language is a different vision of life” F.FELLINI
Develop skills outside of a classroom setting
Add a boost to your CV (?) communicator, multicultural
Learn more about yourself you have to navigate everything on your own, break out your comfort zone
Change your perspective about where you’re from
Truly appreciate difference and diversity
Become a creative problem solver
Become a future global leader “what do you want to do in your life”
It’s a life-changing experience
InterNations Communities
A welcoming community of open-minded individuals who share your experiences.
Language Learning
How does culture shape creativity?
Do Multicultural Experiences Make People More Creative? If So, How?