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Article published In:
Language learning and interactional experiences in Study Abroad settings
Edited by M. Rafael Salaberry, Kate White and Alfred Rue Burch
[Study Abroad Research in Second Language Acquisition and International Education 4:1] 2019
► pp. 70–95

“Seriously, I came here to study English”

A narrative case study of a Japanese exchange student in Thailand

| The University of Tokyo

While English plays a prominent role in universities across the globe, study abroad research has rarely considered English learning in non-Anglophone countries. This article presents a narrative case study of the experience of a Japanese exchange student in Thailand whose primary purpose for study abroad was to improve his English. Grounded in the notion of Individual Networks of Practice (Zappa-Hollman & Duff, 2015), the qualitative analysis will focus on the participant’s evolving social networks and reported communication practices as mediated through available subject positions and varying degrees of investment. Particularly, findings reveal the dissonance between his investment in native speaker English and the reality of using English as a lingua franca, which decidedly influenced the student’s (non-)participation in certain social groups and practices. Casting fresh light on globalization and language learning, the study offers a unique contribution to the study abroad literature and suggests avenues for further research and education.

Keywords: English as a lingua franca, social networks, individual networks of practice (INoP), Japanese student, Thailand, non-Anglophone country, narrative case study
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literature review
    • 2.1English as a lingua franca and study abroad
    • 2.2Study abroad and social networks
  • 3.Methodology
    • 3.1Context and data collected
    • 3.2Analytical procedure
  • 4.Analysis
    • 4.1Background and rationale for study abroad in Thailand
    • 4.2Shota’s INoP: Investment, subject positions, and communication practices
      • 4.2.1Compatriots
      • 4.2.2Thai classmates
      • 4.2.3Soccer friends
      • 4.2.4American friends
  • 5.Discussion and conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 28 February 2019
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/sar.17020.kim
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