Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

Chinese International Students' Informal Second Language (L2) Learning Through Technology For Enhancing Lived Experiences In Canada, Xuewei Zhou

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

An increasing amount of attention has been drawn to international students’ academic development in the context of studying abroad; however, few studies shed light on students’ studying and lived experiences outside of school. This thesis explores how technology can enhance Chinese international students’ informal acquisition of second language (L2) and their lived experiences in Canada. Through a qualitative case study, I describe what language difficulties newly arrived Chinese international students encounter, and how they cope with those language difficulties through technology-assisted informal L2 learning. Data sources include in-depth interviews and follow-up interviews, participants’ personal narratives, and researchers’ reflective journals. Theories …