Las Comunidades Autónomas

When contemplating the move to a new country to learn English, reactions are varied. From the data it is clear that the motivation for learning English was to fulfil the requirements of the organization as, having decided to join the WCHO, workers from non-English backgrounds must obtain the required IELTS (or equivalent) score before progressing through the system to work with the WCHO.

For these people from non-English speaking backgrounds, being able to speak English to a reasonable standard was regarded as essential, enabling them to join the organization and to communicate in international multicultural teams within the WCHO “without speaking English you cannot survive”(I11). From the data it is clear that the need for communication in international teams in the future was a motivating factor for respondents in the decision to learn English; reaching a good level of English was regarded as crucial for their future in the organization.

From the data it is clear that learning English is regarded as another phase in the process necessary to fulfil organizational requirements, yet it is also part of the call, the sense of vocation: to work overseas, they had decided to work with the WCHO and to do so they were required to speak English and therefore they needed to undertake ELL. The decision to learn English was made to fulfil a sense of vocation or call, reflecting Tisdell‟s (2003) comment earlier, noted in section 4.8, that a person‟s spirituality significantly influences decisions such as choices about work which is regarded as vocation. At times, however, these decisions are not easy decisions to be made:

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Actually, my aim is not from myself. Actually, I didn't want to study English. But when God called me to be a cross-cultural worker, I had to choose a specific organization, and so I chose [the WCHO]. We have to speak English; we have to communicate with other workers in English, that's why I should learn English. (I 13)

7.1.1.2 Motivations for learning English in another country.

With the widespread availability of English language classes globally it is of importance to consider the motivation for moving to another country to learn English, a decision that has significant consequences not only for those moving but for the wider family, involving upheaval and considerable financial expense. Yet those who were currently training with the WCHO and many of those who were working in their COS had chosen to study English in a country other than their own. When asked to explain why they had chosen to learn English in another country a number of common reasons and motivations emerged and these are detailed in this section.

Although the location in which English is studied is not dictated by the organization, from the data it is clear that for a number of respondents the initial impetus to study overseas had come at the recommendation from the organization‟s national director in their country, at times not just to learn or improve their English but also to spend time in a different, usually Western, cultural context which was regarded as

beneficial preparation for their future. The recommendation to study English overseas also came from others who had already had their own experiences in English speaking countries.

Although it was acknowledged that learning English and improving English language skills in the home country is possible and that there are a plethora of

courses available, accessing courses is not straight forward as there are limitations on the number of places and teachers available. Having already spent time learning the language in their home countries, some concluded that there had been little

improvement in their language skills, even after attempting to learn English over a long period, as the following indicates: “For a long time I tried to learn English in my country, but it took a very long time, and my English hasn't improved, actually”(I 7).

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From the data it is clear that attending classes in the home country was not regarded as effective; regularly attending classes was possible, but life in between classes functioned in the L1: “You have your two hours class every week and then you go away and speak in your own language again”(I 2). Without the opportunity to regularly speak English between classes, learning again becomes limited to reading and studying English grammar which was regarded by participants as ineffective. Although the learner may have a reasonable vocabulary, there are limited

opportunities in the home country for speaking practise and consequently the English learnt in class is forgotten over time: “My husband and I felt limited studying

English at home because we learned many English words, but we couldn‟t practise. So, almost all our memorized English was gone”(I 8). It was perceived that learning English whilst remaining in the home country takes a longer period of time, requiring more effort, commitment and motivation on the part of the learner as, being

surrounded by people speaking their own L1, there were not opportunities to speak English and it was noted that access to NS of English was very limited. For others from countries where English is spoken frequently, there is still not the motivation to use English because it is more efficient and expedient to use the local language, as, “when you have people around you who can talk your language, you would not speak to them in English, your language is the language you can speak and you know every word in it” (I 3).

Language learning in the home country is conducted in the midst of normal everyday life which continues to demand time and attention while studying English adds yet another demand to already busy schedules; work and other responsibilities to family and relatives have to be maintained whilst trying to study. Living in another country for formal language study allows learners to concentrate fully on language learning without such distractions as work, wider family, or social commitments that in the home culture may be obligatory.

Although it may be possible to learn English in the home country, learning English in an inner circlecountry compels one to learn to be able to communicate with locals, as being surrounded by people who do not speak your L1 gives you little choice but to communicate in the target language. Respondents related how, when studying

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overseas in a multinational context, they needed to communicate with others in their student body using English. From the data, it is clear that respondents were

specifically seeking this type of context so that they would essentially be compelled to speak English, “you have to speak English. There is no other choice” (I 3); “you‟re

forced to speak it” (I 2), so as to function effectively in daily life. In doing so, there was a perception that the learner developed language skills faster and easier or more naturally than if studying in the home country, as the following confirms:

Studying and living in a country where I was surrounded by English speakers was a great help. Our student body was made up of many nationalities and English was the language we communicated and had to communicate with one another. (PW 14)

From the data it is apparent that learning English in an inner circle country enables what was perceived as a more natural method of learning language through everyday routine and involvement in an English speaking context. As described by a

respondent, “Language could be like air: we don't perceive the existence of air, but we breathe through air. Even though we don't recognise it, through situations we learn English”(I 4). Learning through daily routines, activities such as shopping, catching buses, driving or walking around a city, and interacting socially was considered the “best” way, a comparatively effortless and rapid method as opposed to learning English in the home country where it was just another “job” or

responsibility.

From the data it is apparent that there was a definite choice by learners to study in an inner circle country to avail themselves of the benefits they perceived as being afforded in having access to native speakers of English specifically. In being in an inner circle country they would have unlimited access to native speakers; they are everywhere, all the time, whereas in their home country they were surrounded by speakers of their L1; “Here, all people always use English. I can hear English everywhere, and I can use English everyday with other people” (I 7). In these countries the learner can access “live English”(I 6) as opposed to learning English from a book. Living in an inner circle country enables the learner to develop a “sense” (I 9)of the language that cannot be gained from studying grammar and vocabulary in isolation or out of context. This perception is supported by Norton and

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Toohey‟s (2001) comments earlier in section 2.2 that context and access to social networks are essential in helping develop language proficiency.

Living and learning in an inner circle country presents opportunities to access the language in context and, in doing so, gain insights into the historical and cultural background and communication style in the country. This gives additional insights into the language and understanding that are not possible in the home country and makes language learning more effective. The learner also has access to the English used in different discourses as an everyday experience. This contact with English in use across a wide spectrum of people and discourses is not possible in the home country. It enables the learner access to language in use that would not otherwise be possible.

Some respondents questioned the need/necessity or requirement to learn English in another country. The financial cost for those moving was pointed out by one respondent, who stated that learning English abroad “wastes a lot of money”(I 9). The respondent suggested that an alternative could be to recruit native speakers of English to go to live and teach in the respondents‟ countries of origin. The benefits of an entire family moving to another country when it was possible for them to learn English in their home country, was also questioned. From the data it is apparent that respondents did have pragmatic economic reasons for choosing particular countries, finally deciding to study in Australia as, at the time, the Australian dollar was not strong. For some, there was a consideration or a calculation of return for financial investment: moving to another country would be at a cost financially but there would be a more rapid improvement in English than was possible studying in the home country, therefore they concluded that it was more prudent financially to study overseas.

Moving overseas to learn English involves disruption to established lives, occupation and relationships and this can be complex and difficult. There are many issues to consider, many people and relationships entailed and many changes that are involved in the process. Interview respondent 12 spoke of the necessity to “lay down our situation,” indicating a surrendering of the established relationships, housing and

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employment, all of which were important to the respondent, in order to “leave our place”:

I really enjoyed my work. I love my friends and family, they too love each other. It was very difficult to lay down our situation. Just my wife and I had to leave our place. It was very hard for me. (I 12)

For this respondent, the move overseas to study involved a deliberate consideration of the steps that were involved in the decision making process with the ultimate aim of becoming a cross-cultural worker; to be a cross-cultural worker it was essential to learn English and to learn English it was necessary to study overseas; “I decided that if I wanted to be a cross-cultural worker, there is no choice, I had to learn English. At first it was uncomfortable. Nowadays it's okay”. (I 12)

Having considered the milieu in and from which the respondents experienced transformation, it is clear to see that learning an additional language as an adult can be regarded as a disruptive event or a disorienting dilemma, as described by Mezirow and Associates (2000) earlier in section 4.4, with the move to another country

compounding the level of disruption greatly. This backdrop to transformation gives insight into the contexts of the individuals involved in which transformation

occurred, described in the following section.

7.1.2 Attitudes and approaches to language learning undergo