Japanese Language Proficiency, Social Networking, and Language Use during Study Abroad: Learners’ Perspectives Dan P. Dewey, Jennifer Bown, and Dennis Eggett Abstract: This study examines the self-perceived speaking proficiency devel- opment of 204 learners of Japanese who studied abroad in Japan and analyzes connections between self-reported social network development, language use, and speaking development. Learners perceived that they gained the most in areas associated with the intermediate and advanced levels of the ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) Speaking Profi- ciency Guidelines and the least in novice and superior-level abilities, largely because of a ceiling effect – learners were highly capable of novice-level tasks before study abroad and therefore had little to gain. Regression analysis indi- cated that self-reported pre-departure proficiency level, dispersion (number of social groups in which a learner participated), time spent in Japan, total time spent speaking Japanese, time spent speaking with native-speaker friends, and time spent speaking English with native speakers of Japanese predicted 44.6% of the variance in the perceived gains of study abroad in speaking profi- ciency. Self-reported pre-departure proficiency level and time spent speaking English with native speakers of Japanese were negative predictors. Keywords: interaction, language use, social networks, socialization, study abroad Re´sume´ : Cette enqueˆte effectue´e aupre`s de 204 e´le`ves de japonais ayant fait un se´jour d’e´tude au Japon s’inte´resse a` leur perception du de´veloppement de leur compe´tence a` l’oral. Elle analyse les rapports perc¸us par les sujets entre l’accroissement du re´seau social, l’utilisation de la langue et le de´veloppement des compe´tences orales. Les gains les plus marque´s sont perc¸us dans les do- maines associe´s aux niveaux interme´diaires et avance´s des « lignes directrices en matie`re de compe´tence a` l’oral de l’ACTFL » (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Speaking Proficiency Guidelines), et les moins marque´s dans ceux des niveaux de´butants et supe´rieurs, surtout a` cause d’un effet de plafonnement – les apprenants re´alisaient tre`s facilement des taˆches de niveau de´butant avant leur se´jour, ils avaient donc peu a` gagner. L’analyse de la re´gression indique que le degre´ de maı ˆtrise de la langue autoe´value´ par le sujet avant le de´part, la dispersion (le nombre de groupes sociaux fre´- quente´s par l’apprenant), la dure´e du se´jour, le temps total consacre´a` parler © 2012 The Canadian Modern Language Review/La Revue canadienne des langues vivantes, 68, 2 (May / mai), 111–137 doi:10.3138/cmlr.68.2.111 http://www.utpjournals.press/doi/pdf/10.3138/cmlr.68.2.111 - Friday, June 03, 2016 4:18:12 PM - IP Address:5.189.207.145