Abstract
This paper describes and evaluates the process of experienced by 12 undergraduate students from an Australian university during their homestay in Japan. Intercultural encounters bring potential for both positive experiences and negative ones such as anxiety and frustration. Whether positive, negative or a mixture of both, an intercultural experience provides a place of negotiation. For example, dinner time can be a challenging time when a learner wishes to offer help and/or negotiate their preference for food. It seems generally assumed that homestay is a great intensive language and opportunity as observed in exchange advertising material, websites and the like. However, there is a paucity of studies that have systematically examined so called cultural learning during homestay with Japanese families. Hence, the present study aims to narrow this gap in the literature. Four sources of data were used in this study: the students’ daily diary entries, their post-trip reflective reports, questionnaires and semi-structured follow-up interviews. The paper will also discuss the implications for pre-departure preparatory action for future Japan-bound exchange students.
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