Reading transition in Chinese international students: Through the lens of activity system theory

•Explores transition in Chinese students from ‘learning to read’ to ‘reading to learn’.•Changes to reading approaches as a result of environmental mediation.•Gaps between previous experience and expectations in UK generate tensions and conflicts.

This qualitative study explores the intertwined relationship between the impact of the learning environment and Chinese international master's students' reading approaches through the lens of activity system. Data were collected twice in one academic year by means of focus groups (8 participants at Time1, 4 at Time2) and interviews (15 on both occasions). It is noted that a change of learning environment from China to the UK not only triggers a transition in these students' English reading from ‘learning to read’ to ‘reading to learn’, but also gives rise to two different activity systems in which different goals, mediating tools, values, and division of labour are involved. All these elements largely determine what reading approaches Chinese students would use in their English reading. As international students, the gap between what they have brought with them from their home country and what they are expected to achieve in the UK constantly generates tensions and conflicts in their academic reading, which greatly inhibit the reading transition during their master's study.

Graphical abstractThe intricate relationship between social context and L2 readers' cognitive development.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide