A Social Network Analysis of International Students'Out-of-Class Social Engagement and L2 Chinese Pragmatic Competence during Study Abroad in China
Drawing on a social network analysis,the present study examined the interaction between international students'out-of-class social engagement and their L2 Chinese pragmatic competence during study abroad in China.Multiple data sources were collected from three international students using the oral discourse completion tasks of Chinese requests,the study abroad network question-naire,a retrospective verbal report and a semi-structured interview in order to understand their social lives.The results revealed that(1)the learner who developed a balanced and loose social network type displayed a relatively high degree of social engagement and a high level of L2 Chinese pragmat-ic competence;(2)the learner who developed a homogeneous and dense network type demonstrated a low degree of social engagement and a low level of L2 Chinese pragmatic competence;and(3)as an important social network measure,centrality played a pivotal role in learners'social engagement and pragmatic competence.These findings indicate that learners'social networks outside the class-room may play a central role in their L2 Chinese pragmatic development.This study also theorizes the construct of social engagement and defines the dimensions for social network measurement,pro-viding implications for the development of international students'L2 pragmatic competence.
social engagementsocial network analysisChinese pragmatic competenceinternation-al students in China
万方数据
维普
