System xxx (2017) 1e3

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System
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/system

Case studies of study abroad: Making sense of developmental

trajectories
Jane Jackson
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

a r t i c l e i n f o

Article history:
Received 12 September 2017
Accepted 13 September 2017
Available online xxx

In the past decade, an increase in participation rates in study abroad programs has been accompanied by steady growth in
the number and diversity of investigations that seek to better understand what actually happens on stays abroad. Many of the
early studies that centered on second language (L2) sojourners consisted of large-scale, product-oriented research that
compared pre- and post-sojourn findings (e.g., language proficiency scores, measures of intercultural competence) (Freed,
1995; Jackson, 2018; Kinginger, 2009). Nowadays, more and more study abroad researchers recognize the value of longitu-
dinal studies that entail the on-going collection and analysis of qualitative or mixed-method data to make sense of divergent
language and culture-learning processes (Jackson, 2016, 2018; Kinginger, 2013). Building on the work of previous scholars,
this special issue makes an important contribution to our field by identifying and demystifying some of the many internal and
external elements that can influence the developmental trajectories of student sojourners. Work of this nature is essential to
provide direction for pedagogical interventions that could optimize sojourn learning (Jackson & Oguro, 2018).
With mounting interest in the sociocultural dimension of study abroad experience, more case studies of individual so-
journers are appearing in the literature on study abroad. Some narrativized accounts are exploring the L2 learning and
identity awakenings of ERASMUS students in European countries (e.g., Murphy-Lejeune, 2002), US-American students in
France (e.g., Kinginger, 2004, 2008; Wolcott, 2013), Asian students in English-speaking countries (e.g., Chik & Benson, 2008;
Jackson, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2016), or US-American students in China (e.g., Diao, 2011), among others. Work of this nature is
raising awareness of the idiosyncratic nature of study abroad. New understandings are contributing to theory-building and
inspiring innovative interventions in study abroad programs.
In accord with this development, this special issue presents illustrative case studies or narrativized accounts of study
abroad experience, focusing on a small number of participants who were part of a much larger study or series of studies.
Wenhao Diao presents a cross-case comparison of three student sojourners, while Gary Barkhuizen examines the experiences
of a single sojourner who participated in a large-scale study conducted by Benson, Barkhuizen, Bodycott, and Brown (2013).
Irina Zaykovskaya, Hina Rawal and Peter De Costa also focus on the developmental trajectory of a single study abroad student.
While the three articles explore different issues and draw on different theories and sources of data, all of them have a lon-
gitudinal dimension, with the data collection process spanning many months or years.
Drawing on language socialization theory, Diao's article focuses on three US-American study abroad students who studied
Mandarin (Putonghua) in Mainland China. All of them had previous experience with non-standard Mandarin, either through
their association with Chinese family members or a romantic partner. In her study, Diao opted to explore how these

E-mail address: jjackson@cuhk.edu.hk.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2017.09.016
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Please cite this article in press as: Jackson, J., Case studies of study abroad: Making sense of developmental trajectories, System
(2017), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2017.09.016
2 J. Jackson / System xxx (2017) 1e3

individuals (re)interpreted and (re)negotiated their accent and identities during their stay in China. To this end, she collected,
triangulated, and analyzed multiple types of data, including audio recordings, interviews, background surveys, language
awareness questionnaires, and field observations. Her cross-case comparison drew attention to interesting differences in the
ways her focal case participants perceived and responded to standard Mandarin during the sojourn. In particular, their re-
actions to corrective feedback from their language instructors differed, in part, due to their individual language identities and
attitudes.
Diao's findings also raise awareness of external elements that can influence sojourn learning, including the sociolinguistic
setting and prevalent ideologies (e.g., homestay placements in differing regions of China with hosts from different genera-
tions who have different accents and attitudes towards standard Mandarin). Contesting the ways in which ‘heritage language
learners’ are often conceptualized in study abroad research, the author recommends that the term encompass transnational
speakers of the host language, including individuals who are not ethnically linked to the host country. Appropriately, she also
calls on study abroad scholars to pay more heed to accent and identity negotiations that involve race and racialization. Her
case studies have implications for the preparation and support of heritage study abroad students.
In his article, Barkhuizen presents a richly-detailed, longitudinal case study of ‘Max’, a Hong Kong Chinese student who
enrolled in and completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at a university in New Zealand. In contrast with Diao's study, the data he
drew on largely consisted of a series of interviews that spanned nearly five years and included data collection in both
Auckland and Hong Kong. Employing a short-story approach to analyzing narrative interview data, Barkhuizen presents two
short stories that vividly illustrate the dimensions of L2 identity that were found in the larger-scale study conducted by
Benson et al. (2013): identity-related aspects of L2 proficiency, linguistic self-concept, and L2-mediated aspects of personal
development. In this article, Barkhuizen underscores the merits of employing short story analysis in study abroad research
and offers useful, practical suggestions that would be of use to both novice and seasoned researchers.
Moving to another continent for study abroad, Zaykovskaya and her co-researchers conducted a collaborative case study
that centered on the ways in which the language learning beliefs and attitudes of a US-American learner of Russian impacted
the way his sojourn in Russia unfolded. After providing a strong rationale for the use of case study methodology and the
analysis of single cases, the authors identified the data that they drew on to shape ‘Aloysha's’ case: in-depth interviews, email
correspondence and a variety of artifacts (e.g., class assignments, photographs, social network posts). To make sense of their
focal participant's system of beliefs, they employed five categories of BALLI (Beliefs and Language Learning Inventory) (Kalaja
& Barcelos, 2003) to analyze the large amount of qualitative data that they had amassed. Making connections to previous
studies, they drew attention to attributes and behaviors that led to Alyosha's successful sojourn (e.g., positive attitudes to-
wards the host language and community, realistic aims and expectations). Based on his journey, the authors offer concrete
suggestions for the pre-sojourn preparation and on-going support of student sojourners.
The analysis of cases, such as the ones presented in this special issue, can enrich our field and raise awareness of elements
that have been overlooked in previous studies. In particular, narrativized accounts can help us to better understand individual
dimensions (e.g., personal characteristics, motives, language attitudes, degree of investment in sojourn learning) and external
elements (e.g., host receptivity, access to the host community, sociopolitical situations) that can affect the quality of L2
learning and bring about divergent sojourn outcomes. We can learn a great deal by examining the perceptions and experi-
ences of ‘successful’ study abroad students as well as the developmental trajectories of individual sojourners who struggle to
adjust and learn in the new environment.
While case studies and narratives can help us to make sense of study abroad experience, it is important to recognize that
they are partial accounts as they depend on the participants’ ability to recall and accurately disclose details about their
sojourn. Further, when these recollections are shaped into a story or narrative, it is the researcher who typically chooses
which elements to include and leave out. Accordingly, it is essential for researchers to declare personal details and biases that
may influence their work.
Despite the limitations, cases and narrativized accounts that draw on qualitative or mixed-method data have much to offer
study abroad researchers and educators. Systematic studies like the ones described in this special issue can offer valuable
insight into the lived experiences of student sojourners, provide direction for program interventions, and suggest aspects that
merit attention in future studies.

References

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(2017), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2017.09.016
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Please cite this article in press as: Jackson, J., Case studies of study abroad: Making sense of developmental trajectories, System
(2017), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2017.09.016