Abstract

Examining the overseas experience of language learners in diverse contexts through a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches, studies in this volume look at the acquisition of language use, socialization processes, learner motivation, identity and learning strategies. In this way, the volume offers a privileged window into learner experiences abroad while addressing current concerns central to second language acquisition.

Illustrating diverse approaches to the study of language socialization and acquisition, this volume will surely become a key reference for applied linguistics research on education abroad, the most celebrated and least understood among environments for language learning.

Margaret A. DuFon is an Assistant Professor in Linguistics at California State University-Chico. As a result of her own language learning abroad in both Spain and Indonesia, she became interested in investigating the acquisition of pragmatic competence through language socialization via interactions with host culture members during a sojourn abroad.

Eton Churchill is an Assistant Professor of English at Kanagawa University in Yokohama, Japan. He has twenty years teaching experience in foreign languages and has accompanied students abroad on several occasions. His research interests include pragmatics, sociolinguistics, study abroad and the role of interaction and context in language learning.

This is an excellent compendium of research on study abroad. The variety of theoretical perspectives employed and the methodological diversity exhibited provide a richness that many other edited volumes lack. The authors provide solid justification of their methodological choices and demonstrate academic rigor that is both informative and instructive, making this volume an excellent resource for graduate student coursework in SLA and/or foreign language education.