The effects of residency experience in English-speaking countries on English lexical bundle usage among Korean university students

Abstract This study aimed to analyse the usage of English lexical bundles among university students who transitioned to Korean universities after extended periods in English-speaking countries. It was assumed that the duration of their stay would lead to distinct English language usage patterns. Ten participants were recruited: those who resided abroad for more than 5 years (six learners) and those who lived abroad for less than 5 years (four learners). Interviews were conducted, yielding an average of 30 minutes for each interview. The results revealed significant differences in word frequency and trigram usage in terms of students’ duration of stay. In other words, the residency experience in English-speaking countries influenced their language use patterns even though their current proficiency remained the same. Students with more extended stays showed greater trigram diversity and native-like patterns with VP and NP-PP fragments. In comparison, students with shorter stays displayed a prevalence of skewed VP fragment use and had narrower trigram usage. The factors contributing to their differing language use patterns should be investigated further when maintaining similar proficiency levels. Despite some limitations, such as excluding the impact of individual motivation, the findings highlight the importance of individualised language learning approaches, even among learners with similar proficiency levels.