ABSTRACT

As the number of international students in the United States increases, many researchers show interest in understanding how international students adapt to the local society and what factors influence this process. Cultural identity and language proficiency, as two important factors for international students in adaptation, cannot be ignored. The purpose of this study was to examine the relations of cultural identity to language learning for international students (n = 77) in the United States. In order to achieve this goal, participants completed measures of cultural identity, motivation for language learning, and self-perceived language proficiency. Using path analysis, two important findings emerged. First, ethnic identification was negatively related to self-perceived English proficiency, but this relation was mediated by motivation in learning English (i.e. high levels of motivation for language learning could buffer the effect of ethnic identification). Second, American identification (i.e. feeling a strong attachment to the United States, seeking to learn more about U.S. culture) promoted English proficiency through motivation in language learning.

摘要

随着美国国际学生人数的增加，许多研究人员对了解国际学生如何适应当地社会以及影响这一过程的因素表现出兴趣。文化认同和语言能力，作为留学生适应的两个重要因素，不容忽视。本研究的目的是研究文化认同与国际学生语言学习的关系（n = 77) 在美国。为了实现这一目标，参与者完成了文化认同、语言学习动机和自我感知语言能力的测量。使用路径分析，出现了两个重要发现。首先，民族认同与自我感知的英语水平呈负相关，但这种关系受到英语学习动机的调节（即语言学习的高水平动机可以缓冲民族认同的影响）。其次，美国认同（即对美国有强烈的依恋，寻求更多地了解美国文化）通过语言学习的动机提高了英语水平。