Vestiges of monolingual bias are present in the portrayal of study abroad as an idealized monolingual immersion experience and the steps many programs take to encourage or enforce target language monolingualism. In reality, study abroad is often inherently multilingual. This book addresses the need for a recognition of the multilingual realities of study abroad across a variety of traditional and non-traditional national contexts and target languages. The chapters examine multilingual socialization and translanguaging with peers, local hosts and instructors; how the target language is necessarily entwined in global, local and historical contexts; and how students negotiate the use of local and global varieties of English. Together the chapters present a powerful argument for scholars and study abroad practitioners to consider and critically incorporate multilingual realities into their research and planning.

Challenges the idea that study abroad is a monolingual immersion experience in a major world language

About the Author

Wenhao Diao is an Associate Professor in the Department of East Asian Studies and the doctoral program of Second Language Acquisition and Teaching at the University of Arizona, USA. Her research focuses on the sociocultural and sociolinguistic aspects of Chinese language learning and teaching.

Emma Trentman is an Associate Professor of Arabic at the University of New Mexico, USA. She is co-editor of the journal Critical Multilingualism Studies. Her research focuses on multilingual approaches to Arabic language teaching and learning.

Reviews
This compelling book ushers research on language learning in study abroad into a new era of commitment to social justice. Countering the myth of monolingual immersion, exploring the multilingual realities of student experiences and expanding the contexts under investigation, the volume will be a landmark contribution to the field. * Celeste Kinginger, Pennsylvania State University, USA *
This timely volume uniquely illuminates hidden spaces of study abroad research by exposing plurilingual, translingual, and lingua franca realities. Chapters offer new perspectives on study abroad in demystifying the assumptions of monolingual, monocultural, and authentic immersion experiences. The book provides useful insights on linguistic, geographic, and ethnoracial multiplicities of study abroad. * Ryuko Kubota, University of British Columbia, Canada *

...this truly global book critiques a monolingual bias all too present across the academy-especially in study abroad program offerings for students [...] Having directed a faculty-led study abroad program for more than 20 years, this reviewer found the chapters timely and relevant with a solid theoretical grounding. The concluding chapter directly addresses next steps, and this reviewer was pleased to see the inclusion of the section on race and ethnicity as a key theme of this book. An excellent resource for faculty planning and/or leading study abroad programs in fields across the spectrum of higher education.

-- D.M. Moss, University of Connecticut, USA * CHOICE Vol. 59 No. 6 *



Book Information
ISBN 9781800411326
Author Wenhao Diao
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint Multilingual Matters
Publisher Multilingual Matters
Weight(grams) 371g
Dimensions(mm) 234mm * 156mm * 13mm