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An increasing number of foreign language students are participating in study and residence abroad programs. But what truly transpires when they navigate through diverse cultures in unchartered territories? How does a foreign sojourn affect their self-perception and their understanding of the target language and culture? What elements influence their readiness to use the target language in social situations? This book delves into the belief that both student sojourners and educators can gain from a more profound understanding of the language, identity, and cultural aspects that influence the evolution of intercultural communicative competence and intercultural personhood – an alternative identity that is more inclusive, more intercultural, and harmoniously balances the old with the new, fostering greater openness and acceptance of human differences (Kim, 2001: 232-3).
By bridging modern sociocultural/identity theories with practical application, the book scrutinizes the relationship between language learning, cultural assimilation, and identity transformation through an ethnographic study of actual study abroad experiences. This book provides a distinctive, interdisciplinary viewpoint, addressing significant issues for professionals in fields such as second language acquisition, sociolinguistics, cross-cultural psychology, speech communication, and intercultural communication.