Beyond Borders: Exploring Personal and Academic Development through Exchange Experiences

The present work describes a research project designed to find out what can be learned from a cultural exchange experience such as the Erasmus+ program. On the one hand, it investigates behavioural changes that might occur; on the other hand, it explores the linguistic and intercultural competences that may be acquired. Taking an ethnographic approach, the study involves students of various disciplines who have participated in the Erasmus programs. It focuses on potential personality and educational changes by comparing the characteristics of participants before and after their exchange experience. The findings will make it possible to understand whether exchange students show significant progress in linguistic skills and will investigate if there are also improvements in academic writing. Moreover, the results regarding personal identity will explore whether respondents develop a stronger sense of belonging and a deeper understanding of group dynamics after living in a new country for a long time at the end of their stay. Although the results do not examine teachers’ perspectives or possible differences between mobile and non-mobile students, they seek to understand whether a cultural exchange experience can help participants in their individual growth during their transition into adulthood. It will also highlight the importance of embracing these opportunities because there are many different cultures around the world from which people can learn new things as global citizens. Research questions: 1. To what extent can an exchange student’s linguistic and cultural experiences shape their own personal and educational growth? 2. What are the academic and personal effects of studying abroad, in a different educational environment, as perceived by exchange students? 3. How does participation in the Erasmus+ program influence students' sense of inclusion and belonging?