Introduction: International Students’ Target Language (TL)-Mediated Socializing Landscape

In this chapter, the author, Yoshifumi Fukada, explores the target language (TL)-mediated socializing landscape of international students, starting with data on student mobility before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, before introducing his study. His study draws on the theory of situated learning (Lave & Wenger, Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press, 1991) and the concept of affinity space (Gee, Situated language and learning. Routledge, 2004) to explain how study abroad (SA) students grow both as TL users and individuals through TL-mediated socializing. Fukada highlights both promoting and inhibiting factors in TL-mediated socializing in SA contexts, as clarified in past studies. To bridge the gap between situated TL learning and practice, the author conducted a longitudinal situated qualitative study, guided by three research questions (RQs): (1) How do international students construct their TL-mediated socializing opportunities within affinity spaces? (2) What factors promote or hinder the construction of these opportunities? (3) How do students’ socializing experiences and their affective states evolve over time? The chapter briefly outlines the study’s methodological approach, data collection techniques, and analysis process, underscoring the importance of students actively engaging in TL-mediated socializing to foster linguistic and personal growth during their study abroad experiences. At the end of the chapter, the author presents the book overview.