Learning languages alongside their studies offers undergraduate STEMM students the opportunity to broaden cultural awareness, improve communication skills, and expand career prospects. It also supports the development of social connections and enhances cognitive abilities.
This talk will present a qualitative research study investigating students’ and language teachers’ perspectives at a STEMM-focused university. Using interviews and questionnaire analysis, the study explores why learners choose to invest time and effort in learning an additional language. Despite the demands of their disciplines and the context of high competitiveness and limited time, students still dedicate time to language learning and view it as a pathway to broader cultural understanding, intercultural competence, and a potential future identity.
Learners invest in different aspects of language acquisition to develop a range of skills and resources related to their identities, social context, and classroom environment. This study examines the role of social factors in second-language acquisition and offers recommendations for engaging and sustaining investment in the target language. Both students and teachers emphasise the importance of having clear goals, effective communication, and developing oral skills. Students also highlight the professional prospects and symbolic value that language learning can offer.
The study suggests that language centres and Institution-Wide Language Programmes can help learners develop a meaningful, long-term plan that outlines the educational steps needed to achieve their language goals.
