Creating Comfortable TL-Mediated Affinity Spaces in Diverse Social Contexts

As part of the findings on research question (RQ) 1, this chapter presents the results of open-coding data analysis, revealing that (1) within their affinity spaces, research participants could feel comfortable during target language (TL)-mediated socializing with minimal effort, and (2) these comfortable atmospheres were shaped by various factors: situational/environmental elements, interpersonal dynamics, individual interests/awareness, and co-constructed relationships. However, it is crucial to note that these “comfortable affinity spaces” were neither stable nor static, often disappearing and reappearing dynamically. International students did not always feel comfortable in these spaces and sometimes faced emotional struggles or challenges in negotiating meaning with others. Comfort and discomfort often co-existed during social interactions. The chapter illustrates this complexity, and the case studies of three Japanese international students, introduced in Chaps. 7 , 8 , and 9 , further explore the complexity of these emotional states. Additionally, long informal interviews revealed several reasons why participants could feel comfortable during TL-mediated socializing within these spaces, shedding light on the emotional nuances involved in these interactions.