Intercultural Encounters and Their Influence on Willingness to Communicate in a Second Language Other than English

As a consequence of accelerating globalisation there has been an emphasis on developing international students' proficiency to communicate in a foreign language. However, willingness to communicate in a foreign language other than English is an issue less discussed. This case study is an attempt to clarify expats' experience of living in Denmark and their willingness to communicate in Danish. The participants include representatives of different nationalities temporarily living as expats studying and/or working in Denmark. The findings suggest that expats' willingness to communicate in Danish is highly influenced by their position in society, level of socialization with the Danes and knowledge of English.