2020 LLL Conference Keynote Talk: The "Relational Turn" in Applied Linguistics?

Abstract

The relevance of interpersonal relationships, group dynamics, communities, and other social entities in the investigation of language use and learning has been recognized in various social theories, such as Vygotskyan sociocultural theory (i.e., activity theory), Lave and Wenger’s situated learning theory, language socialization, complexity dynamic systems theory, and ethnomethodological conversation analysis. However, such “relational” aspects of language use and learning have gained only marginal attention in past studies and have rarely been reflected in their analytical frameworks. In order to better understand the dynamic configuration of sociality that intricately structures our social lives, we need to place more emphasis on “relations” in applied linguistics. In this presentation, I will explore how social network analysis (SNA)—a sociological paradigm that examines structural properties of relations (Scott & Carrington, 2011)—may expand the scope of applied linguistics research in productive and meaningful ways. SNA has proven useful in various disciplinary fields, including social psychology, anthropology, economics, organizational science, communication, political science, and geography. To illustrate my point, I present examples from my own research on the socialization process of study-abroad participants in Japan. In addition to various possibilities of SNA, I will also discuss some challenges that may be involved in the use of SNA.