EFL self-concept at a highly internationalized university: A mixed-methods study of profiles, Plurilingual and Pluricultural Competence, EFL Anxiety and the EMI context

This dissertation investigates the evolution of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) selfconcept of local, first-year undergraduates within a multilingual and multicultural university. It analyzes changes in students’ EFL self-concept and some contextual and individual factors that may have an effect on it, including 1) students’ Plurilingual and Pluricultural Competence (PPC) and EFL Anxiety, 2) profile variables, and 3) internationalization of classrooms, triggered by English medium instruction and international students. Data collection and analysis followed a mixed-methods approach and a longitudinal design. Results reveal a general high EFL self-concept but having a higher number of international friends, two or more L1(s) and experiences abroad correlated with higher levels. PPC together with EFL Anxiety were able to predict 40% of EFL self-concept variance. Reports from interviews to full EMI students showed a generalized sense of progress that drove students’ EFL self-concept forward, though with differences tied to the nature of academic disciplines. The weight of past and present positively-perceived experiences with English appears as key in EFL self-concept development. All in all, this study reveals valuable information for educational stakeholders and policy makers in higher education.