Webinar WG1: Presentation of Doctoral Candidate - Elena Ovchinnikova

Abstract:

In this presentation, I will discuss my thesis which aimed to expand on the role of language as both a macro and micro factor in directing international student mobility (1) by focusing on the influence of language proximity on international student flows for full degree/diploma programmes, and (2) by analyzing how individual foreign language skills impact students’ short-term study abroad aspirations and destination choices. The macro-level results demonstrate that language proximity does play an important role in driving international student flows. The micro-level findings, in turn, indicate that students who evaluate their foreign language skills as advanced and who speak a foreign language on a daily basis are more likely to aspire to study abroad in comparison to students who assess their skills at an intermediate level and use a foreign language weekly or monthly. The number of foreign languages students master does not seem to impact students’ decision-making…