A study of cultural frame-switching in international students

Abstract

The following research presents an analysis of Cultural Frame Switching, also referred to in this paper as CFS, which is a phenomenon that consists in shifting between cultural mindsets depending on the cultural and linguistic cues presented. Most of the previous studies investigated its influence focusing on bicultural bilingual individuals; however, this research analyzes its impact on monocultural bilingual international students whose second language is English. This study aims to answer the research question by applying qualitative research based on semi-structured interviews conducted in English. The results found that Cultural Frame Switching affects this group of bilinguals when it comes to specific personality traits, and it results in an adaptation to the culture of their second language, which also involves imitating the behavior and linguistic expressions of native English speakers. However, the findings show that Cultural Frame Switching, unlike in bicultural bilinguals, does not lead to the development of an additional set of values and beliefs related to their second language.