Academic mobility and migration of knowledge workers are two concerns in international migration studies, so how academic mobility transforms into immigration has received much attention as well. There are two commonly held approaches to the explanation of immigration of international students: the classic Push and Pull theory and its derivative studies as well as Rational Choice Theory (RCT). However, both sets of theories have their drawbacks, that their analysis is either exclusion of the micro-level decision-making process or neglect of the macro-level social structure. In this study, both qualitative and quantitative data are collected, and Giddens structuration theory has been applied to mediate micro and macro level factors for constructing a framework to understand migration motivations of Chinese undergraduate students in Canada. The major conceptions and themes drawn upon from structuration theory include agency and structure, the effects of rules and resources within structures, the capacity and knowledgeability of agent, time-space context, and the theme of duality of structure. Because gender differences are significant in this study, two models are built for female and male students respectively. The practical aim of this study is to generate more policy interests in Canada in Chinese undergraduate students in order to make Canada the foremost destination for them not only for studying abroad but also for settlement.

Academic mobility and migration of knowledge workers are two concerns in international migration studies, so how academic mobility transforms into immigration has received much attention as well. There are two commonly held approaches to the explanation of immigration of international students: the classic Push and Pull theory and its derivative studies as well as Rational Choice Theory (RCT). However, both sets of theories have their drawbacks, that their analysis is either exclusion of the micro-level decision-making process or neglect of the macro-level social structure. In this study, both qualitative and quantitative data are collected, and Giddens structuration theory has been applied to mediate micro and macro level factors for constructing a framework to understand migration motivations of Chinese undergraduate students in Canada. The major conceptions and themes drawn upon from structuration theory include agency and structure, the effects of rules and resources within structures, the capacity and knowledgeability of agent, time-space context, and the theme of duality of structure. Because gender differences are significant in this study, two models are built for female and male students respectively. The practical aim of this study is to generate more policy interests in Canada in Chinese undergraduate students in order to make Canada the foremost destination for them not only for studying abroad but also for settlement.

This study investigates how 4 newly admitted Chinese international graduate students participate in classroom discussions at a Canadian university. This qualitative research provides rich descriptions of their backgrounds and classroom participation, as well as their voices related to their classroom experiences. Framed by Language Socialization Theory, the study examines the classroom contexts where the students are socialized, particularly the social relations in the classroom that influence the 4 students’ participation. The study also investigates the role of the 4 students’ agency in the negotiation of access and participation in classroom discussions, as well as their identity formation in classroom communities. The findings of this research highlight the co-constructed and bi-directional nature of language socialization. The 4 students’ classroom experiences are not only shaped by their educational, cultural and social backgrounds, but are also jointly constructed by local contextual factors in Western classrooms. Pedagogical implications are also discussed.

This study investigates how 4 newly admitted Chinese international graduate students participate in classroom discussions at a Canadian university. This qualitative research provides rich descriptions of their backgrounds and classroom participation, as well as their voices related to their classroom experiences. Framed by Language Socialization Theory, the study examines the classroom contexts where the students are socialized, particularly the social relations in the classroom that influence the 4 students’ participation. The study also investigates the role of the 4 students’ agency in the negotiation of access and participation in classroom discussions, as well as their identity formation in classroom communities. The findings of this research highlight the co-constructed and bi-directional nature of language socialization. The 4 students’ classroom experiences are not only shaped by their educational, cultural and social backgrounds, but are also jointly constructed by local contextual factors in Western classrooms. Pedagogical implications are also discussed.

This study highlights the complexities associated with learning a heritage language (HL) abroad, specifically with regard to identity, expectations, and beliefs about language and language learning, by examining the ways that HL learners talk about themselves. These are important topics to study because perceptions of language learning have been shown to influence language acquisition in the study abroad context (Wilkinson, 1998). In addition, study abroad programs are becoming more popular and so are attempts to design language courses to meet the unique needs of HL learners. The study explores the experiences of 17 HL learners who chose to study abroad in 2007 or 2008 to improve their HL proficiency. These HL learners had at least a basic ability to comprehend and communicate in the language that their parents or grandparents speak natively, and were themselves dominant in English. The participants included 5 males and 12 females who went abroad to 14 different countries to study Spanish (7), Hebrew (1), Tigrinya (1), French (1), German (1), Korean (1), Cantonese (1), or Mandarin (4). Data collected include 17 hours of interviews both before and after the sojourns, 34 email reflections written while abroad, blog entries, and a focus group. Data were analyzed using discursive psychology, which views discourse as being variable, co-constructed, purposeful, and context-dependent. By analyzing the data to find the interpretive repertoires, ideological dilemmas, and subject positions used (Reynolds & Wetherell, 2003; Edley, 2001), a deeper understanding of studying abroad as a HL learner was attained. Findings include that the participants lack interpretive repertoires to discuss their HL and being a HL learner, used their HL as a resource to access other learning opportunities while abroad, encountered difficulties fully immersing themselves in the HL while abroad, received insufficient pre-departure support from the study abroad offices, and had backgrounds and HL learning experiences that varied considerably. The study's findings have implications for what topics to cover in classes and study abroad advising sessions that may help HL learners make decisions about where to study abroad, as well as help students process the experiences they have learning their HL and studying abroad. / text

This paper sets out from Taiwan and China’s overseas students’ numbers, countries and majors, and is aimed at the return situation and the contribution of overseas return students for further study and comparison. The research is of the opinion that because the rise of China and the reformed opening-up, the Chinese Government even places more importance on studying abroad students. Similarly, those students are even more patriotic feeling and sense of missions for their motherland. So they hope in the future they are able to return home after graduation to contribute what they had studied. Because of this, the China studying abroad students and overseas return students are increasing every year. In recent years, because Taiwan Institutes for enrollments have a substantial increase; thus, the number of Taiwan studying abroad students is far less than the number of China studying abroad students. Taking the international advanced technology, culture and management knowledge and experience back to their countries is the largest contribution to the study of education. Therefore, in the face of Taiwan students to choose to stay at home study, in fact, it will have a negative impact on Taiwan’s international competitiveness in the future. The research shows that if the number of Taiwanese studying abroad remains in the doldrums, then, the cultivation of international talents of Taiwan might occurred the fault.

Depuis le début du troisième millénaire, la France a découvert, tardivement par rapport aux autres pays développés, une explosion des effectifs d'étudiants chinois dans son système universitaire. Cette évolution en France se caractérise par son ampleur et sa rapidité, avec comme effets secondaires l'éclatement de quelques scandales de corruptions et de tricheries dans les campus français. Les presses s'en emparent pour dépeindre une situation dramatique des étudiants chinois. Par ce biais, elles tendent à nourrir l'image d'invasion et véhiculer l'incompréhension, plutôt qu'apporter l'éclairage. Le public français, laissé en perplexe, se demande : Mais qui sont ces étudiants ? Qu'est-ce qu'ils cherchent dans nos universités ? Pourquoi et pour quoi ils viennent en France? À travers une recherche basée sur une échantillon 200 étudiants chinois qui suivent ou ont suivi des études supérieures dans le système éducatif française, avec l'aide des méthodes qualitatives et quantitatives, nous avons mis en évidence leurs effets sur les comportements et les représentations de ces étudiants chinois sur leur décision et préparations de venir étudier en France, leurs expériences de vie et leurs performances scolaires en France, et enfin, des stratégies développées pour vivre et survivre dans le système éducatif et social français.Au défaut de ressource financière et de réseau de relations préalables, avec une insuffisance de préparation linguistique, plus une identité culturelle totalement différente de celle de l?occident, ces étudiants sont entravés par la pression de la réussite, ils se retrouvent en général dans une situation difficile. La décision de rester ou partir, insister ou abandonner, dépend de l'interrelation entre les préoccupations individuelles et des facteurs macroscopiques, mais c'est une question réellement posée par eux-mêmes depuis le début. Maintenant je vous invite de continuer de découvrir dans notre recherche. / Compared with other developed countries, the French higher education organizations finally ushered in an immense increase of Chinese students at the beginning of 21st century. The change was characterized by large scale and high speed along with occasional scandals of campus cheating and bribery. Meanwhile, the misery situations of Chinese students were repeatedly reported by different media. In those messages, the media seemed to be trying to convey the idea of Chinese students? influx into France and to foster confusion among the public. Nevertheless, who were those Chinese students? What were they seeking in French universities? Why, for what purpose on earth, did they choose to go there?The educational research approaches of quality and quantity were applied in this thesis. After the longitudinal study on 200 Chinese students who are studying or used to study in French higher education organizations, a clear understanding was obtained about their behaviors, performances and the impact. To be specific, our research resulted in several aspects. Firstly, their preparations and decision for their further study in France ; Secondly, their experiences and performances of studying in France; Thirdly , their strategies for future study and employment or their existence in France . Opposite to their good wishes, they were actually trapped in their choices of going there. They got into great trouble due to lack of financial support, less or no help from social relationship, deficient French capabilities, huge differences of values and cultures. They had to confront with the enormous learning tasks and life trifles, bearing the massive pressure of getting successful all the time. To stay in France or to return to the motherland, to persist in or give up, it would be determined by everybody?s concerns and visible or predictable influential factors. However, this is the realistic situation. From the very beginning, it constituted the unavoidable issue for them. Now, I would like you to follow my statement.

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The general areas of research for this study are personality and second language acquisition. The three goals of this study are to (a) develop a personality instrument (the Questionnaire of English Environment Personality [QuEEP]) that accounts for second language influences on personality, and more effectively captures personality than an established personality instrument (the International Personality Item Pool Big Five Factor Markers [IPIP BFFM]), (b) determine if personality changes after studying abroad for a month, and (c) determine if certain personality types are likely to improve oral proficiency when studying abroad. In relation to the study’s first goal, 262-items, using a five-point Likert scale, were created and administered to 287 Japanese university students to measure five personality factors based on the extraversion, emotional stability, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness factors of the Big Five model of personality (McCrae & Costa, 1987). These items were then culled to 50 items by examining their suitability through factor analysis and Rasch analysis. Two 50-item versions of the QuEEP were drawn from the same 262-items, one based on three factor analyses, and the other based on Rasch analysis. Both versions of the QuEEP included 10 items for each of the five personality factors in the Big Five. Both versions of the QuEEP outperformed the IPIP BFFM on four measures of validity, including content validity, structural validity, external validity, and generalizability, while the IPIP BFFM outperformed both versions of the QuEEP on the substantive aspect of construct validity. As a result, it was concluded that the QuEEP, specifically the version derived from the Rasch analysis, was more effective at capturing personality that was influenced by a second language than the IPIP BFFM. In relation to the study’s second goal, the personality for 38 study-abroad students was assessed, through a pre-departure and post-return administration of the QuEEP and IPIP BFFM, to determine if the participants’ personality changed after one month abroad. The results indicated that the personality measures of extraversion and emotional stability increased significantly after one month abroad, as measured by the QuEEP. The IPIP BFFM did not indicate any significant personality changes. In relation to the study’s third goal, the 38 study-abroad students also completed a pre-departure and post-return interview test to determine if certain personality types benefited more from studying abroad in terms of oral proficiency, which included eight measures of fluency, complexity, and accuracy. The results indicated that when the participants were divided into high and low groups for each personality dimension (e.g., a high extraversion and a low extraversion group), the only significant differences between the groups in measures of oral proficiency involved the pauses fluency variable (low QuEEP emotional stability group), the words per second fluency variable (high IPIP BFFM extraversion group), the pauses fluency variable (high IPIP BFFM extraversion group), and the accuracy variable (low IPIP BFFM openness group). After Bonferroni adjustments were conducted, these findings were rendered not significant. However, when analyzed cross-sectionally rather than longitudinally, there were several significant correlations involving the QuEEP pretest and pre-interview test data, most notably between oral proficiency and extraversion and emotional stability. The IPIP BFFM posttest also indicated significant correlations between oral proficiency and agreeableness and openness. The QuEEP posttest and post-interview test data, and the IPIP BFFM pretest and pre-interview test data indicated fewer significant correlations with oral proficiency. / Language Arts

Competition for seats in Canadian medical schools has driven many Canadians to seek medical education abroad. Systematic barriers make it necessary for internationally educated physicians (IEPs) hoping to practice in Canada to complete postgraduate residencies. To do so, they must transition into new medical education systems. The transitional experiences of internationally educated physicians are not well understood. This phenomenological qualitative study reveals the perspectives of twenty recent graduates from the University of Manitoba Family Medicine residency program. Canadians Studying Abroad constituted the majority of participants. Participant interviews revealed the presence of clinical practice gaps, created by curricular differences in the timing of graduated clinical responsibility between the Canadian and international medical education systems. Participants also shared their experiences of being singled out (visibility and invisibility), rejected and mistreated. They perceived that IEP residents were assigned low status in resident hierarchies. Their experiences are conceptualized as stigmatization.