Cultural immersion for language and intercultural competences acquisition: a case study

• Autor(a) principal: Alves, Susana Ferreira
• Data de Publicação: 2023
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.22/24618
• topic: Cultural immersion; Intercultural competence; Language acquisition; Employability; Imersão cultural; Empregabilidade; Competência intercultural; Aquisição de línguas; Gestão

This dissertation examines the effects of cultural immersion experiences within the bachelor's degree in Translation and Interpretation Portuguese/Chinese Chinese/Portuguese exchange program offered by the Polytechnic of Leiria. The research sought to determine whether these cultural immersion experiences improve linguistic and cultural competence and provide graduates with an edge in the labour market. The present dissertation starts by doing a theoretical framework, followed by a cultural context of the relations between Portugal and China, which serve as the foundations for the research conducted in this dissertation. The research findings show not only a robust positive association between cultural immersion and language and intercultural competences acquisition but also shows rising interest in Chinese language learning in Portugal. With its integrated exchange programmes to China, the bachelor’s degree in Translation and Interpretation Portuguese/Chinese-Chinese/Portuguese has helped students develop linguistic skills and intercultural competence, thereby meeting the broader societal need for individuals with the ability to engage effectively in a globalized world. As a result, this research highlights the positive influence that cultural immersion experiences have on the career prospects of graduates and accentuates the importance of such experiences in fostering language and intercultural competence. It also acknowledges the wider societal ramifications of advocating for intercultural competency and language proficiency, while emphasising the need of educational initiatives in preparing individuals for an increasingly interconnected global community. This study promotes the investigation and advancement of efforts aimed at recognizing the impact of cultural immersion in the acquisition of such competences, with the goal of deepening our understanding of the benefits associated with these experiences.