Neoliberal common sense and Erasmus student mobility: how do prospective English language teachers construct their experiences?

Çiftçi E. Y., Karaman A. C.

LANGUAGE AND INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION, vol.24, no.6, pp.726-743, 2024 (AHCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 24 Issue: 6
  • Publication Date: 2024
  • Doi Number: 10.1080/14708477.2024.2365335
  • Journal Name: LANGUAGE AND INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
  • Journal Indexes: Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, Educational research abstracts (ERA), ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Linguistic Bibliography, Linguistics & Language Behavior Abstracts, MLA - Modern Language Association Database
  • Page Numbers: pp.726-743
  • Keywords: Erasmus, language teacher education, Neoliberalism, reflexive thematic analysis, study abroad
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Erasmus student experiences currently seem to be closely linked to the neoliberal common sense, meaning that market-oriented motivations and consumerist behaviours can often be found in students' discourses and experiences. With this point in mind, in this qualitative inquiry, we focused on how a cohort of prospective English language teachers constructed their Erasmus experiences. Upon analysing a qualitative set of data, we argued that the participants constructed a polydimensional Erasmus experience marked predominantly by neoliberal elements, interspersed with discernible critical facets. We, then, offered recommendations aimed at ensuring a more balanced and transformative Erasmus experience for prospective English language teachers.