Changes in Chinese Students’ Learner Strategy Use after Arrival in the UK: a Qualitative Inquiry

Abstract

Due to socioeconomic developments in China, there has recently been a dramatic increase in the number of Chinese students studying overseas. In the past, Chinese students tended to enjoy a good reputation for their diligence and academic achievement (Cortazzi and Jin, 1996; Watkins and Biggs, 1996). But with the increase in numbers of Chinese studying abroad, the difficulties they face in their adaptation to a new academic environment appear to be attracting more attention (Barnard, 2002). English language proficiency, being essential to their academic survival and success, continues to be a major problem for many such learners. Thus, there is a clear need for research into how members of the global diaspora of Chinese students cope independently with language learning and use in an English-speaking environment. In this chapter I report on an interview-based study of Chinese students in the UK, investigating changes in their learner strategy use as they cross over from an EFL (English as a foreign language) learning situation to an ESL (English as a second language) context where English is much more widely used in the surrounding environment than in China.