Students' Perceptions of an Internship Experience in China: A Pilot Study
Yunjuan He (PhD, University of Florida) is Assistant Professor of Chinese, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega.
Xizhen Qin (PhD, Ohio State University) is Assistant Professor of World Languages Education, University of South Florida, Tampa.
Abstract
This small‐scale study reported American students' perception of the effect of their internship conducted in a study abroad program on their development of Chinese language proficiency, intercultural competence, and professional knowledge. The results indicate that a self‐evaluated successful internship allows interns with intermediate‐level language proficiency to have sufficient oral communication in the workplace and provides interns with major‐related observation opportunities overseen (supervised) by their supervisor/coworker. Working cultural competence is an essential skill for American interns to acquire for creating and maintaining positive interpersonal relationships in professional contexts.
Number of times cited: 4
- Silvia Marijuan and Cristina Sanz, Expanding Boundaries: Current and New Directions in Study Abroad Research and Practice, Foreign Language Annals, 51, 1, (185-204), (2018).
- Zhini Zeng, Striving for the third space: A U.S. professional's experiences in Chinese workplaces, Foreign Language Annals, 51, 3, (658-684), (2018).
- Hang Du, The Complexity of Study Abroad: Stories from Ethnic Minority American Students in China, Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 10.1017/S0267190518000065, 38, (122-139), (2018).
- Shu‐Ling Wu, The Planning, Implementation, and Assessment of an International Internship Program: An Exploratory Case Study, Foreign Language Annals, 50, 3, (567-583), (2017).
