A Case Study of U.S. Students’ Social Network Development during Academic Year Study Abroad in Japan

Abstract

This article examines three American college students’ social network development during study abroad (SA) in Japan. Although previous studies reported the significance of SA social networks in L2 acquisition, studies on SA students who participated in year-long programs in Japan as well as in counties where their languages are less commonly taught in the United States are still limited. This study collected data from questionnaires and post-SA interviews and employed the individual network of practice to construct SA students’ social networks. The findings suggest that the social groups’ rules and locals’ willingness to communicate with SA students in English facilitated SA students’ participation in social groups. The findings also revealed American SA students’ dilemmas in using English with locals and issues of a SA student’s mental health for social network development. Based on the findings, the article discusses pedagogical implications for home institutions and future research suggestions. (147)

Keywords

• study abroad
• social network development
• japanese learning