Language and (Inter)cultural Socialization in Study Abroad (SA) Contexts

Students who participate in a study abroad (SA) program are naturally exposed to new ‘ways of being’ (e.g., unfamiliar linguistic and cultural practices) and as they adjust to the host environment, they may experience acculturative stress and identity confusion (Jackson 2018, 2020). To better understand the challenges facing second language (L2) SA participants, applied linguists in various parts of the world are conducting introspective studies that seek to identify and make sense of factors that can influence L2 socialization and sojourn outcomes (e.g., language proficiency gains, intercultural competence development) (Iwasaki 2019; Jackson 2019). Their work is providing much-needed direction for pedagogical interventions in SA programs (e.g., pre-departure orientations, language and intercultural transition courses) (Jackson and Oguro 2018; Vande Berg, Paige and Lou 2012). This, in turn, is helping institutions of higher education to realize some of their internationalization goals (e.g., the enhancement of language and intercultural development). After explaining contemporary notions of L2 socialization/acculturation and poststructuralist perspectives on identity, this colloquium presented the key findings of three mixed-method, largely qualitative, longitudinal studies that investigated the L2 socialization and identity reconstruction of participants in various short-term SA programs.