Speakers
Description
This longitudinal study explores fluctuations in Capacity to Speak (CTS) among four Japanese exchange students in Taiwan and Korea. Through interviews and journals, it examines the interactions between L2 (English) and L3 (Chinese & Korean). Results highlight that situational momentum and social environments influence learners’ CTS and confidence. Findings also reveal that language switching and dominant English may hinder L3 activation, showing how L2 experience serves as both a cognitive foundation and a competitor.
Abstract section 2: Contribution/research questions
This study investigates how Japanese exchange students’ CTS in L2 English and L3 Chinese or Korean fluctuates in multilingual contexts. Specifically, it addresses: (a) How do participants’ L2 and L3 CTS change during the exchange program? (b) What factors influence participants’ CTS? (c) Does English (L2) influence L3 learning?
Abstract section 3: Content/method
This longitudinal study followed four Japanese exchange students: two studying in Taiwan and two in Korea. Data were collected using three methods: semi-structured interviews conducted before and during the study abroad period, monthly reflective journals, and retrospective timeline graphs (Falout, 2016). During the interviews, participants used these graphs to indicate fluctuations in their CTS in English (L2) and Chinese or Korean (L3), visually illustrating the relationship and interaction between their L2 and L3.
Abstract section 5: References
Cenoz, J., & Gorter, D. (2019). Multilingualism, translanguaging, and minority languages in SLA. The Modern Language Journal, 103, 130-135. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12529
Grosjean, F. (2016). The Complementarity Principle and its impact on processing, acquisition, and dominance. Language dominance in bilinguals: Issues of measurement and operationalization, 66-84.
Falout, J. (2016). Past selves: Emerging motivational guides across temporal contexts. In J. King (Ed.), The dynamic interplay between context and the language learner (pp. 47-65). Palgrave-Macmillan
Henry, A. (2017). L2 motivation and multilingual identities. The Modern Language Journal, 10
Humphries, S. (2023). Fluctuations in Japanese English majors’ capacity to speak before, during and after studying,113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2023.103001.
Maher, K. & King, J. (2022). ‘The silence kills me.’: ‘Silence’ as a trigger of speaking-related anxiety in the English-medium classroom. English Teaching & Learning 46, 213–234. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42321-022-00119-4
Wen, W. P., & Clément, R. (2003). A Chinese conceptualisation of willingness to communicate in ESL. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 16(1), 18–38.
Abstract section 4: Outcomes/results
CTS fluctuated with situational momentum, as early successful experiences enhanced learners’ speaking confidence. Interactions with different groups, including Westerners, other Asians, or Japanese peers, influenced language choice. Moreover, participants translanguaged, where dominant English sometimes interfered with L3 retrieval. Finally, prior L2 experience provided a strong cognitive foundation for multilingual development, but it also created a competitive dynamic in which more proficient L2 English could suppress the emerging L3 during the study-abroad period. The findings imply that we should consider multilingual learners’ fluctuating confidence, socially mediated language choices, and L2‑dominance effects when designing study‑abroad support structures and investigating multilingual development.
Abstract section 1: Relevance
While global research recognizes multilingual repertoires (Cenoz & Gorter, 2019), Japanese education tends to emphasize monolingual L2 development. Although L2 classroom silence has been widely discussed in Japan (Maher & King, 2022), L3 speaking attitudes have been underexplored. Furthermore, traditional Willingness to Communicate (WTC) models do not fully explain the complex factors underlying silence in Asian contexts (Wen & Clément, 2003). Thus, this study adopts the Capacity to Speak (CTS) concept (Humphries et al., 2023) to examine situational fluctuations. By exploring L2-L3 competition (Henry, 2017) and complementary dynamics (Grosjean, 2016), this research addresses CTS multilingual development beyond traditional monolingual frameworks.
| Title | L2 and L3 speaking dynamics while studying abroad in Asia |
|---|---|
| Teaching Context | College and university education |