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Article published In:
Language learning for language minority students in a globalized world
Edited by Mark Feng Teng and Fan Fang
[Australian Review of Applied Linguistics 46:2] 2023
► pp. 207–232

Social networking and cultural identity among language minority learners of Portuguese during study abroad

ORCID logo | Macao Polytechnic University
| Macao Polytechnic University
| Hong Kong Shue Yan University

Research in intercultural communication studies has demonstrated that social networking (SN) can affect language minority learners’ cultural adaptation/identity process. Furthermore, internet usage preferences play an important role in the cultural adaptation of mobility groups. Drawing on these two lines of development, the current paper aims to further examine the role of SN in the home and host cultural adaptation/identity process of Chinese language-minority learners in Portugal. Through collecting and analyzing questionnaires focusing on three cultural identity dimensions, participants’ use of SN for academic purposes, and their cultural adaptation and language minority learning, we found that the affordances provided by SN contribute positively to enhancing both the host and the home cultural identity. Furthermore, the academic purpose of language use on SN indicated a positive relationship between the use of SN and cultural identity. The findings shed new light on factors that influence participants’ Portuguese language learning during study abroad.

Keywords: language minority learners, social networking, cultural identity, Portuguese
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literature review
    • 2.1Social networking (SN)
    • 2.2Cultural identity and adaptation
  • 3.The current study
    • 3.1Research questions
    • 3.2Participants
    • 3.3Research design and data collection
    • 3.4Data analysis
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1Descriptive statistics about the usage of SNS
    • 4.2Descriptive statistics of the main variables
    • 4.3Correlation analysis
  • 5.Discussion
    • 5.1Research Question 1: What are the SNS usage preferences of Chinese minority learners in Portugal?
    • 5.2Research Question 2: How does the usage of SN contribute to the host and home cultural identity of language minority groups in the case of Chinese international students in Portugal?
    • 5.3Research Question 3: How does the purpose of the academic use of SN affect cultural adaptation as well as participants’ Portuguese language learning?
  • 6.Limitations and future directions
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
Published online: 25 May 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/aral.22056.han
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