ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews research into language awareness in a study abroad (SA) context and tries to answer the some questions. The questions are "What is the theoretical and/or practical impact of the research carried out on the topic?" and "What further theoretical and/or practical developments can be envisaged?" The chapter explores previous studies that directly or indirectly examine the role of awareness when second or foreign language (L2) learning occurs in an SA setting, in order to shed some light on the under-researched and inconclusive relationship between SA and awareness. Research has been classified regarding the type of awareness being considered: language awareness, cognitive individual differences concerning awareness, and language learning awareness. Like studies focusing on language awareness, those centred on the role of cognitive capacities also highlight the crucial role that cognitive capacities play when learning in an SA context given that they seem to determine the amount of attention learners need to allocate on the L2.
