The dialects of control and connection in the study abroad homestay
As in every conversation, negotiation for control and connection is at the heart of communication in the study
abroad homestay. Finding a comfortable footing on the control-and-connection continua (i.e., closeness versus distance, and
hierarchy versus equality) is both a product and a process of language learning in the homestay. Drawing on interviews of all
parties and recordings of homestay interactions, we present the dialectical interplay of control and connection through analysis
of conversational narratives recounted at Chinese homestay dinner tables. We recruit
Wertsch’s
(1998) notion of mediated action to show how stories, as cultural tools, were employed by the hosts and students to
construct moral injunctions and to cultivate closeness through mutual caring (
guānxīn), affective gratification
(
qièyì), and attentiveness (
tiēxīn). Findings of the study challenge assumptions about
homestay communication as a power struggle only and underscore the importance of teaching students to appreciate the value of
interpersonal exchange in homestay settings.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Homestay relationships
- 3.Mediated action
- 4.Data collection and analysis
- 5.Participants
- 5.1Students
- 5.2Host family
- 6.Results
- 6.1John’s homestay: Guānxīn
- 6.2Sam’s homestay: Qièyì
- 6.3David’s homestay: Tiēxīn
- 7.Conclusion
-
References
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Back, Michele, Rebecca Joseph, Anna McCormick & Hana Picorelli
2022.
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► pp. 103849 ff.
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Lee, Sheng-Hsun
2022.
How memories of study abroad experience are contextualized in the language classroom.
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Long, Avizia Y. & Megan Solon
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