Search

Slides from a presentation to CLaSIC 2018: The Eighth CLS International Conference on 8th December 2018.AbstractStudy abroad presents some of the most fascinating contexts for investigating language learning, since it provides vast and ongoing opportunities to engage with and ‘live in’ the target language. Moreover, participants are often required to seek out ways to develop their language ability independently and autonomously while negotiating unfamiliar social contexts and new ways of being. Drawing on an investigation of 100 Japanese high school students, this presentation will show how technology is now an essential element of language learning contexts abroad, connecting with participants’ imagined identities and enhancing their L2 social interaction, networking and autonomous learning. The investigation analysed surveys, interviews and social media data of a year-long program, covering 20 destination countries and 13 second languages in total. Critically, I will argue that the current ubiquity of mobile technology is providing individuals with increased autonomy and new possibilities in managing and pursuing their own learning.

Slides from a presentation to the 2015 JALT (Japanese Association of Language Teachers) Conference.Abstract The majority of research on Study Abroad (SA) has focused on the outcomes and effectiveness of programs in a broader context of Second Language Acquisition which DuFon and Churchill (2006) note "concentrated on gains in specific skills" (p. 2), while neglecting the experience of the individual. Recently there has been a movement to better account for individuals’ experiences in SA through the use of sociocultural and identity theory-based approaches such as Jackson (2008) and Kinginger (2013). This research has highlighted the impact that the crossing of borders and the confronting of unfamiliar social and cultural practices places on the individual. It is during these situations in SA that individuals' identities are most heavily contested in what Block (2002) terms 'critical experiences'. Through examples taken from a study completed in November 2014, the presentation demonstrates how 'critical experiences' provide insights into identity change in individuals during SA and suggest the types of methodologies that can be adopted to both identify and analyse these experiences. Block, D. (2002). Destabilized Identities and Cosmopolitanism across Language and Cultural Borders: Two Case Studies. Hong Kong Journal of Applied Linguistics, 7(2), 1-19. DuFon, M. A., & Churchill, E. (2006). Language learners in study abroad contexts. Buffalo, NY: Multilingual Matters. Jackson, J. (2008). Language, Identity and Study Abroad. London: Equinox Publishing. Kinginger, C. (2013). Identity and language learning in study abroad. Foreign Language Annals, 46(3), 339-358.

Slides from a presentation at the 2016 AALA (Applied Linguistics Association of Australia) Conference. Abstract: Study abroad is often seen as way for second language learners to gain authentic, immersive contact with the target language, providing gains in language acquisition. However, many studies reporting on the outcomes of study abroad programs have shown that while some learners seem to flourish, others experience negative consequences (Kinginger, 2013). Indeed, exposure to the unfamiliar linguistic, cultural and social situations encountered during study abroad can have far-reaching impacts for a learner’s sense of self and their relationship with the target language (Block 2007). This presentation contrasted the experiences of two Japanese high school students who participated in a short-term study abroad program in England and had vastly different learning outcomes. The students completed daily journals while in the host country and were interviewed both before and after the program. Extracts from this data are presented to highlight critical experiences the students encountered and how they attempted to resolve them, resulting in changes to their cultural and second language identities. This presentation also demonstrates how individual differences, including social histories and motivations for participating in the program, contributed to the way their relationship to English evolved during and directly after the program. Examination of these experiences help us to better understand how some participants in study abroad programs can struggle and fail to make gains in the target language. References Block, D. (2007). Second language identities. London: Continuum. Kinginger, C. (2013). Identity and language learning in study abroad. Foreign Language Annals, 46(3), 339-358.