Literacy encounters in a non-anglophone context: Korean study abroad students in a Malaysian classroom

Abstract

The rapid proliferation of study abroad and transnational programmes have witnessed increasing student mobility within the Southeast Asian region that has thrust many learners into new learning environments and cultures. These students come with their own academic literacy practices built on experiences in their home countries and have to quickly shift to a new academic culture in the host country. This research highlights that it is erroneous to assume that academic culture and practices are the same across the region by investigating how Korean study abroad students are navigating their literacy practices in a Malaysian tertiary classroom. Data was collected using interviews, student literacy logs and researcher field notes over fourteen weeks. Findings show that these students were unprepared to deal with the new environment and resorted to literacy practices that they were comfortable with and useful in their home country's academic culture. This implies that it is important to identify what is similar and different in the two learning environments to help study abroad students adjust and connect with their new learning context.