Final remarks

TThe analysed narratives share a common theme which can be described as a “journey towards maturity”. Overall, they illustrate the process of transforming the funseeking student into a young, open-minded adult who is more aware of herself or himself and of cultural differences. The initial motivation to participate in the student exchange programme was primarily based on the desire for personal development combined with the need to discover (Deakin, 2014; Gómez et al., 2018), which included the pursuit of independence, the desire for adventure, travelling, meeting new people as well as going far away from home. Therefore, when choosing a host country, young adults were mainly driven by emotional, social and cognitive reasons (Gómez et al., 2018). The development of intercultural competences was rather superficial for most respondents studying abroad for the first time. Despite their openness and positive attitude, they (with some exceptions) did not show a deep interest in the culture or language of the host country. Their narratives revealed many naive beliefs about culture and language, pointing to a rather simplified perception of reality. Above all, they shared the conviction that there is a universal culture that facilitates communication and eliminates all kinds of barriers. This was related to the belief in the status of English as a global language and a universal means of communication, which eliminated the need to communicate in the language of the host country and justified not taking the time to learn it. Nonetheless, the analysed narratives deconstruct these myths. Contrary to previous assumptions, the local language becomes the main tool of communication and the key to intercultural understanding during a stayabroad context. Additionally, a shift from vague “universality” towards a specific culture can be seen, as documented by the narratives of several respondents who shared more insightful reflections on their experiences (e.g. Oksana) and were able to identify many benefits of mastering a local language. Apart from the previously mentioned emotional, social and cognitive values, which translated into more spontaneous and satisfying communication and improvement of the quality of relations with Poles, some respondents pointed to the conditional value of knowing the local (Polish) language using which ensured access to the local labour market and created new professional career prospects. It can therefore be concluded that studying abroad for the first time is often only a starting point in the process of multidimensional development of an individual. This experience undoubtedly plays a decisive role in personal growth and contributes significantly to the development of linguistic and cultural awareness. With regard to the present, it is also important to emphasise its role in debunking the myths concerning the use of Lingua Franca English. Contrary to popular belief, the data revealed that speaking English is not

enough to function effectively in places where it is not an official language and does not provide satisfactory control over conversation (cf. Parks, 1994). Thus, mastering the local language becomes an undeniable asset and a means of in-depth communication based on mutual understanding and a stronger rapport.

The conducted study has some limitations that should be considered in future research. First, it focused on young foreigners studying or working in large Polish cities. In the future, it would be beneficial to collect data from a wider group of respondents, e.g. foreigners travelling outside their home country for other purposes and to smaller towns – not only in Poland – or from respondents of a different socio-demographic profile. This would make it possible to take into account different cultural perspectives. We are fully aware that cultural background influences common attitudes and value structures. Therefore, future research could focus more on the impact of value systems on selecting a particular destination and the quality of foreign experiences (cf. Gómez et al. 2018). Moreover, the short duration of the research process made it difficult to collect more extensive data or to make regular visits to respondents. Therefore, systematically conducted longitudinal studies seem to be more insightful in the field of narrative research on experiences of foreigners. The analyses could also be enriched by diversification of data sources, e.g. diaries written by respondents, which would make it possible to look at the studied issues from a broader perspective.

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