L2 Learning During Study Abroad : The Creation of Affinity Spaces

This book presents three case studies that examine how English language students construct affinity spaces to secure target language-mediated socializing opportunities with local people in both academic and non-academic contexts. The studies were conducted in Hawaii, the U.S and Tokyo, Japan and focus on the Japanese author of this book, an English as second language (ESL) speaker and learner, during his sabbatical in Hawaii; on a Japanese international student who studied in Hawaii; and on a Chinese international student studying in Japan. The studies hold a variety of implications for classroom practice, including helping students recognize the value of cultural and social capital in relation to their linguistic skills.