Integration of Resilience Training and English Training through a Lens of Social Constructionism

ABSTRACT Most Chinese pre-arrival training programs are focused on English language training without preparing students with psychological readiness to overcome potential adversities. This paper explores the effectiveness of an innovative six-week pre-arrival training program that integrated English training with resilience training through the lens of social constructionism. The program involved a mix of English proficiency training using stories with an underlying resilience theme coupled with further reinforcement of resilience skills through interactive narratives, bibliotherapy and art therapy. Thirty Chinese students who were enrolled in a joint venture training program between China and the U.K. were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. The result of the pretest and posttest comparison after students participated in the training program showed a significant improvement in the experimental group’s overall English skills and resilience, and a decrease in their anxiety, stress, and depression compared to the control group.