The Impact of Study Abroad on the Acquisition of Sociopragmatic Variation Patterns

This book investigates the study abroad profile of non-native speaker teachers of English, exploring the impact of studying abroad on the acquisition of sociopragmatic variation patterns and the relationship between such patterns and identity development. Introducing the concept of ‘loci of learning’, the book provides a compelling insight into the relationship between the duration of study abroad and the intensity and diversity of access to the target language. It then proceeds to explore the impact of varying degrees of intensity and diversity of language contact on the development of sociopragmatic variation patterns through a micro-analysis of recorded learner discourse. Finally, it maps the correlation between these linguistic patterns and the enactment of a compound identity. Linking ethnographic and quantitative data with extensive examples of learner discourse, the author offers a unique perspective on non-native speaker teachers of English. By turning the focus of study abroad research onto this group, who are not only learners but also disseminators of the language, this book fills a significant gap in current scholarship.