27.2946, Review: Applied Ling; Language Acq; Pragmatics; Socioling: McManus, Mitchell, Tracy-Ventura (2015)

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LINGUIST List: Vol-27-2946. Wed Jul 13 2016. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 27.2946, Review: Applied Ling; Language Acq; Pragmatics; Socioling: McManus, Mitchell, Tracy-Ventura (2015)

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Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2016 10:23:26
From: Danielle Denny [danielledenny at att.net]
Subject: Social interaction, identity and language learning during residence abroad

 
Discuss this message:
http://linguistlist.org/pubs/reviews/get-review.cfm?subid=36145197


Book announced at http://linguistlist.org/issues/26/26-4506.html

EDITOR: Rosamond  Mitchell
EDITOR: Nicole  Tracy-Ventura
EDITOR: Kevin  McManus
TITLE: Social interaction, identity and language learning during residence abroad
SERIES TITLE: EuroSLA Monograph Series
PUBLISHER: EUROSLA Monograph Series
YEAR: 2015

REVIEWER: Danielle N Denny, Mississippi College

Reviews Editor: Helen Aristar-Dry

SUMMARY

Social Interaction, Identity and Language Learning During Residence Abroad is
a collaborative volume compiled by Rosamond Mitchell, Nicole Tracy-Ventura,
and Kevin McManus that presents a glimpse of language learning in study abroad
as a dynamic research field drawing on diverse psycholinguistic,
sociolinguistic, ethnographic and poststructuralist traditions. It highlights
the value of, and need for, research on the effects of social context, social
networks and learner’s identity construction on the success or failure of
language learning.  The editors take the view that in order to further
progress the tradition of research on language learning during study/
residence abroad, it is necessary to bring together the research traditions of
theoretical linguistics and psycholinguistics.  This work is part of a trend
within second language acquisition theory that shows the increasing influence
of ethnographic and poststructuralist thinking.  The idea for this book came
out of a conference addressing the same themes, and the editors believe that
the collection of work presented here highlights a range of promising
directions for future research.  

Accordingly, Social Interaction, Identity and Language Learning During
Residence Abroad is divided into four sections. Section 1 “Setting the Scene”
includes two contributions from the main speakers at the conference.  Both
authors emphasize the long-term effect of time overseas on identity, work, and
personal interactions.  In Chapter 1, Ulrich Teichler confronts the well-known
benefits of overseas language study with the knowledge that it is becoming
less remarkable in an increasingly international world by touching on the
current direction of short-term study abroad programs.  Similarly in Chapter
2, James Coleman emphasizes the long-term effects of living and studying
abroad on several seminal areas of a person’s life.  For language learning, he
notes the unsettling impact of computerized interaction on language learning
and social interaction.  

The chapters in Section 2: “Placement Types and Learning Consequences” discuss
the connection between language learning and the different scopes and forms of
studies abroad.  For instance, Kinginger (Chapter 3) focuses on language
learning in the context of a social situation presenting the case of American
teenagers living with Chinese host families and following how they learned to
live together and how language skills developed.  Di Silvio, Donovan and
Malone (Chapter 4) present a preliminary report on a multi-language study on
providing training for host families to foster more interaction.  While no
significant differences were found, host family training created positive
feelings for the host families and an increase in student oral proficiency.   

The following three chapters in Section 2 are all based in France, most with
the Erasmus program.  The Erasmus program was established in Europe in 1987
with the vision that eventually 10% of students would spend a period in
another European country during the course of study.   This program advanced
study abroads from an exceptional choice to a normal option and  study abroads
have been increasingly emphasized across European countries.  Participants are
usually highly motivated, and the program includes intensive language courses
prior to travel.  Each chapter focuses on a unique element of research within
this program and its participants.  The study in Chapter 5 shows that anxiety
is decreased while willingness to communicate is increased by taking a
language class before studying abroad.  In addition, Chapter 6 gives an
account of British college students in the varied positions of language
teaching assistant, exchange student, and job intern as they learn French and
interact socially.  Recreational activities and personality seemed to have a
greater effect on language learning than each person’s position, as language
growth was comparable across the three groups. Furthermore, Bracke and Aguerre
in Chapter 7 concentrate on students living with French speakers compared with
those living alone or with international students.  They found community
involvement and language skills were better in students living with French
speakers. 

Furthermore, Section 3 “Social Networks and Social Interaction” explores the
relationship between social networks, behavior, and language learning for
students studying abroad.  Gautier and Chevrot, Chapter 8, delineate the
participating American students into three categories of social networking to
piece together the connection between friendship networks and the degree of
formal or informal usage of French. In chapter 9, Roskvist, Harvey, Corder and
Stacey also explore networks and discover some of the reasons why diverse
networks are created through a case study of two very different teachers
working for a year in New Zealand. 

Bown, Dewey and Belnap’s study of 82 Arabic speaking students in Palestine
show that existing language ability, personal characteristics, and especially
gender influence the degree and regularity of student exchanges.  However as
more time passed all the students noticed richer interactions. In Chapter 11,
Hampton assesses the home institution’s use of an online network to encourage
students studying abroad to report their experience and help them achieve
class goals.  Lastly in Chapter 12, through a study of Australian students in
Japan,  Campbell shows the importance of both computerized and in person
interactions on long distance networks and language choices. 

The final section on “Social Networks and Social Identities” considers the
development of social identities among study abroad participants. In Chapter
13, Trentman focuses on the gendered construction of identities using a
poststructuralist framework to analyze how American female participants in
Egypt gained access to different social relationships by trying out different
personal and cultural identities.  Trentman points out that forming a shared
community and furthering intercultural involvement can be a result of the
program chosen.  In Chapter 14, Plews uses Canadian students studying German
to investigate the development and change in national identity construction
with a poststructuralist frame of reference similar to Trentman’s.  Uniquely,
this study shows an increased intercultural awareness in conjunction with an
intensified sense of being Canadian rather than a dichotomous choice between
the two.   

EVALUATION

Social Interaction, Identity and Language Learning During Residence Abroad
would be interesting to people who are based in or partnered with a language
learning program.  It could be helpful to teachers and program directors
seeking to evaluate potential programs to partner with or to improve their own
programs by going beyond classroom study to engage with the larger social
context.  This book successfully makes the reader reevaluate study abroad
programs both as language programs and as instruments for social identity.
Programs can use this as a starting point for future studies and for specific
ideas they can use to improve their programs such as training for host
families, organizing social events, and offering language study prior to
travel. 

This book effectively explores the dynamic of social interaction on language
learning. Unique and engaging case studies raise questions about social
context and personality that make the reader consider, perhaps for the first
time, the wider impact of language study not just for language ability but on
a person’s identity and the effect on a community. The case studies address
different programs and a variety of social aspects, proving the editors’ point
that a wide-range of social elements can affect language learning. Each case
study clearly shows that social interaction plays a vital role in language
learning.  This book comes at a good time, as today, millions of students
spend part or all of their studies as temporary residence in a different
country, and acquire new language skills, alongside new interpersonal and
intercultural skills.  

Technology, anxiety, recreational activities, personalities, home stays, work
situation, and length of stay, etc. are different aspects of social
interaction covered in this book that can affect language learning and a study
abroad experience.  However, the breadth of these topics does not lend itself
to conclusive results in any one area, and a narrower focus on one or two
facets of social interaction might have led to more definitive conclusions
about a single aspect of social interaction and language learning. While this
book does a good job of staying focused on language learning and social
interaction, it still feels like a preliminary report leaving much to be said
about the topic.   The editors grant that, “the provision of adequate accounts
of success and failure in language learning, in terms of social contexts,
social networks and learners’ identity construction, is a main challenge
facing SA/RA [study abroad/residence abroad] research.”  Consequently, their
chosen authors bring up and address some of the limitations within mainstream
second language acquisition research citing that  benefits for some areas of
language are contradictory or unclear especially in the cases of grammar
learning, starting age, and starting level.  They believe that research in
this field also focuses very narrowly on adolescents and young adults. 

Regardless of these limitations,  Social Interaction, Identity and Language
Learning During Residence Abroad has successfully opened this field for study,
leaving a variety of social features to explore more deeply, such as the
relationship between technology, host families, living context, and length of
stay.  Each of these are touched on but further studies could produce more
conclusive results.  Still, the editors achieved their goal, “to present a
snapshot of language learning in study abroad as a dynamic research field
drawing on diverse psycholinguistic, sociolinguistic, ethnographic and
poststructuralist traditions.”  The editors believe that the collection of
work presented here highlights a range of promising research directions for
this future research program.


ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Currently I teach English to international students at the university level in
the United States. I have spent time in China working with teachers to
increase the usage of interactive teaching methodology. I am interested in
seeing my students succeed at studying in American and want to increase my
knowledge of all the elements that go into language learning from grammar and
curriculum to social interaction and living abroad.





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