International Multilingual Students’ Perceptions of Learning English in a Multilingual Setting

Abstract Students’ perceptions about learning in English influence the way they approach their learning either toward the target language itself or toward the learning in general. This paper aims to probe participants’ perceptions of learning a foreign language in the United States in multilingual settings. Using the snowball technique, seven participants were recruited for the purpose of the study. Later, focus group interviews were carried out to collect data and were analyzed using the NVivo software. The findings demonstrated that participants held different perceptions before and after studying in the US that positively or negatively affected their English learning. The most frequent themes were related to the high quality of learning in the US, which increased students’ motivation to study with native English teachers. Students’ prior learning experiences were another theme that emerged; these experiences were overcome when students adjusted their learning and looked for best learning practices. They took advantage of being in the US to practice their English in authentic situations. The least frequent themes were motivation and accent, which students believed were less important in their learning. After an analysis of these findings, this paper concludes with some pedagogical implications and recommendations for further research.