Maintaining the Japan Connection: The Impact of Study Abroad on Japanese Language Learners’ Life Trajectories and Ongoing Interaction with Japanese Speakers

Abstract

This article explores the post-study abroad life trajectories of learners of Japanese. Drawing upon data collected from eight interviewees, it presents the experiences of study abroad returnees’ ongoing engagement with Japan and Japanese speakers once they were removed from the study abroad environment. In particular, it focuses on the impact of study abroad on ongoing studies and career trajectory, and examines ongoing interaction with Japanese speakers throughout these key life stages. Through the lens of possible selves theory (Markus & Nurius, 1986), this study also examines how the informants’ ongoing engagement with the target language is reflected in their post-study abroad L2 self-concepts. It was found that although the experience of studying abroad in Japan presented a critical incident in each of the informants’ future life trajectories, and each of them remain connected to Japan in various ways, their patterns of engagement with Japanese speakers after returning home differed significantly.

The L2 Self and Identity: Exploring What Spanish as a Foreign Language Means for Former Mixed-Major Study Abroad Sojourners

“…More pertinent, however, to the present study and the research direction identified by Plews (2016) is recent research on the wider consequences poststudy abroad. Studying in Japan was found to present a "critical incident" in life trajectories (Campbell, 2016), with post-sojourners remaining connected with the country in different ways. Interviews were conducted six months to 15 years after completion of study abroad (all bar one of the eight participants were still students).…”

“…What the studies reviewed in this section have in common is a consideration, at least in part, of the impact of and upon an L2 in the postsojourn period, arguably in the period beyond immediate re-entry. Save for one participant in Campbell (2016), the participants were still students or had just completed their studies or were on interim internships within their study program. However, a recent study has focused on 33 Anglophone language specialist graduates (French or German) and investigated their career pathways and language identity claimed.…”