International Sojourning in the U.S.

Abstract

The experiences of visiting university faculty have been documented in the literature, yet, there appears to be a dearth of studies concerning the impact of sojourning abroad on children of visiting scholars who join a parent for an extended visit to a host country. This article will present a case study that qualitatively examined the perceptions, expectations and reflections of two young Koreans who accompanied their father during his 10-month sabbatical at a large, public university in the South East United States. Specifically, data collected by the researchers through a series of interviews investigated socio-cultural and situational experiences and challenges reported by the participants who were living in a host country. The results of this study suggest that in order to have a successful international sojourn experience, prior to their departure, both visiting scholars and their accompanying family members should have a certain level of cultural competence and linguistic proficiency of the language of the host country, and be open to new life experiences and challenges that they will encounter abroad. International Sojourning in the U.S.: Perceptions fromChildren of a Visiting Scholar