Social and Cultural Aspects of Language Learning in Study Abroad

The papers in this volume offer a sampling of contemporary efforts to update the portrayal of study abroad in the applied linguistics literature through attention to its social and cultural aspects. The volume illustrates diversification of theory and method, refinement of approaches to social interactive language use, and expansion in the range of populations and languages under scrutiny. Part I offers a topical orientation, outlining the rationale for the project. Part II presents six qualitative case studies adopting sociocultural, activity theoretical, postructuralist, or discourse analytic methodologies. The four chapters in Part III illustrate a variety of approaches and foci in research on the pragmatic capabilities of study abroad participants in relation to second language identities. The volume will be of interest to a broad audience of applied linguistics researchers, language educators, and professionals engaged in the design, oversight, and assessment of study abroad programs.

Carol A. Chapelle, Iowa State University:
Study abroad was once seen as a monolithic good for what ails foreign language learners, but recent research reveals a more nuanced view indicating the extraordinary complexity of how and what students may or may not learn during a study abroad experience. This volume continues down the path of revelationby gathering original empirical investigations of study abroad experiences, each of which adds a unique layer of texture to a more accurate picture of study abroad today. Authors engage with current realities of study abroad in an international context,where language study is permeated by politics, power relations, technologies, identities, and motives. To study these dynamic contexts, researchers draw upon theoretical frameworks andresearch methodologies that examine how learners demonstrate their agency, engaging with the study abroad context tocommunicate and construct their own study abroad experiences. In my view, this very timely collection challenges foreign language teachers to consider how students can best be prepared for the complex opportunities and challenges presented by study abroad.