A Small Story of an Early Study Abroad Student: A Positioning Analysis

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Due to the emphasis on learning English in a globalized society, early study-abroad (ESA) programs in English-speaking countries have become a trend among upper and middle class Koreans since the 1990s. While studies on ESA students have focused on their psychological and emotional experiences, little has been studied on how their identities are discursively constructed in their narratives. Thus, this study aims to demonstrate an ESA student’s identity construction by drawing on the positioning theory (Bamberg, 1997, 2004). The participant of the study was an ESA student, Andy, who came to the United States unaccompanied by his parents. His stories were analyzed to show how he positions himself within the story and how his positioning is related to the social discourse of English and immigration. Findings show that Andy constructs his imagined identity as a transnational elite who can move freely between different linguistic and cultural groups while being recognized as a legitimate member of Korean and English communities. Conflicts arise between his transnational ideal and his close affiliation with the Korean community. He uses othering strategies to negotiate conflicts among multiple identities. The study illustrates how an ESA student’s identity construction is influenced by the social discourse of English being a symbolic capital.

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