Understanding the international student’s experiences in a multilingual university context from a sociolinguistic perspective

Abstract

This paper takes a sociolinguistic perspective in understanding the international student’s experiences in a multilingual university context. Drawing on a narrative inquiry approach, the present qualitative case study investigates a Brazilian Chinese international student’s lived experiences of studying in a Hong Kong university, with particular attention to his identity construction in both in-class and out-of-class contexts and the role of language in shaping his dynamic identity construction. The findings suggest that the international student’s language (in)competence appears to be closely intertwined with his identity construction in situated contexts, intersecting with his inclusion/exclusion and empowerment/marginalisation. The findings also reveal that multiple language ideologies mediate the impact of the international student’s language (in)competence on his identity construction in various situated contexts. Taken together, the findings call attention to the complex and dynamic interaction between identity construction, language (in)competence and language ideology in advancing our understanding of the international student’s experiences in a multilingual university context.