Understandings and discussions of study abroad are thrust into the social media era through these stunning, readable narratives of Japanese adolescents. Revealing experiences of what study abroad now means and how it interconnects with language learning and identity change in digital, social, and material spaces, this book pushes the edge of study abroad research. * Gary Barkhuizen, University of Auckland, New Zealand * In todays social media era, we need a new approach to study abroad research that starts before departure and continues after returning home. Durbidge leads the way in developing conceptual foundations to understand the impact of digital platforms on language learning and friendship development of five Japanese high school students as they study in Europe and North/South America. Anyone interested in conceptualizing social media in study abroad experiences will find this book a most helpful resource. * Yoko Kobayashi, Iwate University, Japan * This lively, readable volume, which centres an underrepresented population of Japanese adolescents, offers a welcome update and expansion of the research on language learning in study abroad. It uses an ingenious mixed-methods design and focuses on contemporary communicative settings wherein local and digital affordances are intertwined and call for significant translocal negotiation of interpersonal connections and identity. * Celeste Kinginger, The Pennsylvania State University, USA * This book is a fascinating and in-depth analysis of the experiences of a number of Japanese students studying abroad. Beyond just providing incredible detail into how multiple individuals navigated new languages and contexts, the book goes above and beyond by exploring the role of technology in their experiences, and following the same learners back to Japan to see how they reacclimated as returners often to groups/areas where no one else understood their time abroad. * Wes Robertson, Scripting Japan Blog * By focusing on Japanese high school students, Durbidge fills a critical gap in the literature and draws attention to a group often overlooked in SA research. The book is an essential resource for all SA stakeholders, leading to further inquiry and enhancing the understanding of international mobility for Japanese students at high school level and beyond. * Todd J. Allen, Kansai University, Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, 2025 *
