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

This book is a threefold investigation of the study abroad profile of non-native speaker teachers of English, its impact on acquisition of sociopragmatic variation patterns and the subsequent relationship between such patterns and the enactment of a range of identities. It links ethnographic and quantitative data with examples of learner discourse.

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.

Auteur

Anne Marie Devlin is a lecturer in Applied Linguistics at University College Cork. She has spent many years teaching English as a Second Language and has also worked as a teacher trainer on refresher courses for non-native speaker teachers of English.

Contenu

Contents: Introduction: Aims and Scope of the Book - 'The art of the analysis of the unsaid': An Investigation of Pragmatics - Identity and the Second Language User: How Can I Still Be Me? - The Study - Language Teacher as Learner: Constructing a Profile - 'Are you ok?': The Use of (Sub)-Strategies to Index Sociopragmatic Variation - You Can Take the Teacher Out of the Classroom, But ... : Indexing Identity - Towards an Understanding of the Interplay between Duration of Study Abroad, Interaction with Loci of Learning and the Emergence of Core Identity.