With the rise of globalization, knowledge of the English language and intercultural competence have become highly sought after skills. One method Chinese university students use to increase these skills is to study abroad. Positive language attitudes have been linked with language learning motivation and language proficiency, which in turn influence ability to understand and interact with the host culture. This study investigated the differences in language attitudes between female Chinese university students who live both abroad and in China. Their attitudes towards English and Mandarin were compared in terms of integrative and instrumental orientation. 15 students who study at different English-speaking universities in Europe and 20 students who study at different Mandarin-speaking universities in Mainland China responded to a 32-item Language Attitudes Questionnaire and 2 open-ended questions. The results of this study suggest that study abroad leads to more positive integrative attitudes towards English, while there were no statistically significant effects on attitudes towards Mandarin or on instrumental attitudes towards English.
随着全球化的兴起，英语知识和跨文化能力已成为备受追捧的技能。中国大学生用来提高这种技能的一种方法是出国留学。 积极的语言态度与语言学习动机和语言熟练程度有关，这反过来又会影响理解东道国文化的能力。 本项研究调查了居住在国外和在中国的中国女大学生之间语言态度的差异。 她们对英语和普通话的态度在整合型取向和工具型取向方面进行了比较。15 名在欧洲大学学习的学生和 20 名在中国大学学习的学生回答了一份包含 32 项针对语言态度的李克特量表陈述句和 2 个开放式问题的问卷。这项研究的结果表明，出国留学对英语产生了更积极的融合型态度，而对普通话的态度或对英语的工具型态度没有统计上的显著影响。