Living and Learning Between Canada and Korea: The Academic Experiences and Cultural Challenges of Undergraduate International Exchange Students

Abstract

This study focuses on the experiences of short-term, “study abroad” exchange students enrolled in programs offered through reciprocal partnerships between Canadian and Korean universities, as part of a larger investigation of international student exchange policies and in response to rising student mobility between the two countries. The experiences of short-term exchange students might be best explored from a different vantage point than that of long-term students due to the variation in the types of institutional support they receive. This study utilized a narrative inquiry approach to consider and construct dynamic vignettes of the impressions of study abroad students, permitting them to reflect upon what they expected prior to their exchange and what they actually experienced.