Study Abroad Process from Intercultural Communication Perspective: An Exploratory Study on Erasmus Experience in Turkey

This study explores the study abroad experience within intercultural communication competence (ICC) framework, focusing on Erasmus students at a foundation university in Turkey. Using a qualitative approach, the research is conducted in two phases, at the beginning, and at the end of a semester. The results of focus groups in the first phase with 20 students provided an understanding of students’ motives to select the host country and city, information sources, prior knowledge and assumptions, and first impressions about the host culture. The second phase involved focus group sessions and in-depth interviews with the same students, enabling to reveal the changes relating to motivational and cognitive aspects of ICC and the challenging factors. Based on the findings and existing literature, a framework for the process of study abroad experience is proposed, encompassing decision-making process, study abroad experience, and ICC outcomes.