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Abstract
Target-language gains are frequently cited as the primary objective of study-abroad (SA) programs. While it is a common “folk belief” that mere presence in a host country facilitates language acquisition as if by osmosis, empirical evidence reveals significant variation in linguistic attainment. To understand these divergent outcomes, researchers have increasingly turned to Social Network Analysis (SNA) to investigate how the structure and quality of students’ social interactions shape their linguistic progress.
However, traditional research in this area has faced four major limitations:
1. A narrow focus on interactions with native speakers, overlooking the significant role of peer-to-peer communication.
2. Reliance on egocentric networks without verifying the perspectives of the alters in the network.
3. The use of limited, global metrics rather than nuanced structural data.
4. A reliance on one-shot pre- and post-stay snapshots rather than longitudinal tracking.
This talk will demonstrate how these gaps can be overcome through sociocentric (whole-network) SNA. Unlike egocentric approaches, sociocentric SNA i) focuses on students’ interactions with their alma mater classmates as well as other agents; ii) reconstructs their complete networks; iii) allows tracing the impact of each individual student’s position in the social graph using centrality metrics; and iv) may offer a dynamic developmental perspective with multiple measurement points, gauging the extent to which changes in the interaction networks translate to changes in progress along a range of dimensions.
Drawing on diverse empirical examples—including Erasmus+ exchanges, intensive summer programs, and language courses for refugees across varied geographical and target-language contexts—the talk will explore the analytical affordances and methodological nuances of computational SNA. Together, these contribute novel methodology and rigorous insights into the dynamics of study-abroad SLA, alongside tangible recommendations for SA program stakeholders.
Bio
Michał B. Paradowski is a professor and teacher trainer at the Institute of Applied Linguistics, University of Warsaw, and a research and language teaching consultant. His interests include second language acquisition and instruction, bi- and multilingualism, psycholinguistics, educational psychology, study abroad, social network analysis, and complex systems. He published over 80 scientific works and delivered more than 260 invited lectures, seminars and workshops worldwide.