Second language learning: Perspectives of military dependents living overseas

In the United States military today nearly 1.4 million service members serve on active duty. More than 124,000 service members are stationed abroad with more than 22,000 dependent family members accompany them on these assignments. Assuming residence in a foreign country can be a difficult adjustment for service members and their families and historical research has shown that the impact of an overseas assignment on a military family, especially the military spouse, is not well understood. This research study used a qualitative case study methodology to exam one aspect of an overseas assignment, how active duty military adult dependents stationed overseas experienced and described learning a second language while living in the host nation. To answer the research question nine active duty military adult dependents participated in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured, face-to-face interviews, field notes, and member checking of the analysis. The results of the analysis revealed four themes that help explain the experience of learning a second language while living in the host country of the language, 1) motivation to learn, 2) overcoming obstacles, 3) personal learning process, and 4) acculturation. These four themes were explored further and a summary was created to answer the research question. The themes and patterns that emerged from the data provided a unique perspective on what it was like for the participants in this study to learn a second language while living in the host country of the language. These findings highlight what is needed to be successful in learning a second language and what learning a second language meant for to the overall satisfaction of the participants while living abroad.