Students and images about foreign languages in higher education, the case of the University of Sonora

Abstract

Since the beginning of the century, the university has promoted among its students the study of foreign languages, especially English, as a mechanism to generate greater professional skills among its graduates. Taking this institutional orientation as a starting point, this article investigates the characteristics of foreign language students and deepens their reasons for admission, as well as the images that are formed with these studies. The findings suggest that the study of languages is associated with the students' field of knowledge, as well as their cultural capitals. The information that supports the research comes from institutional databases and interviews with 25 students at the Universidad de Sonora, Mexico.