The positive effect of conference participation on reducing L2 communication apprehension

The purpose of this study is to examine the socio-psychological and interpersonal process by which Japanese college students majoring in nursing reduced their levels of communication apprehension and eventually enhanced the level of willingness to communicate through their experiences of volunteering as interns at an international conference. Data were obtained from a focus group meeting of nine Japanese students who volunteered to work as interns at an international conference. An approximately 120-minute meeting was audio-recorded and transcribed. Using a qualitative content analysis approach, the transcribed data were coded into meaningful units, which were then categorized into concepts representing the participants’ sociological and psychological outlook on communication. The results reveal that participation as an intern at an international conference can reduce the level of communication apprehension and suggest that the Japanese sense of self, manifested socially as ’otherdirectedness’, might actually be re-directed in a positive way leading to more effective L2 communication strategies