Study Abroad and Second Language Use: Constructing the Self

Limitations in linguistic and cultural knowledge make self-presentation a more difficult task when we interact in a new language in a foreign country. This volume explores the problems faced by language students embarking on "study abroad" programs by considering factors that complicate self-presentation and how students overcome them. The book's insight makes it an invaluable resource for professionals in second language acquisition, and for teachers and students preparing for study abroad.

• Features extensive diaries and interviews, which provide a unique perspective on the study abroad experience • Incorporates literature from second language acquisition, social psychology, and communication • Looks at the concept of ‘self’, which has not as yet been treated in depth in the field of second language acquisition

1. Language use in a social context; 2. Communicative goals; 3. The social dance: second language and the construction of self; 4. Learners and their environment: factors affecting self-construction; Coming into our own: the convergence of real self and ideal self; 5. Conclusion: The self in second language: implications and next steps.