ABSTRACT
Chapter 4 presents a longitudinal dimension of the experiences and identity construction of eight bilinguals while they were pursuing their studies in an English-speaking country, and when they returned home. The cases describe how the participants faced various challenges both inside and outside the classroom in Australia although all of them had high investment in English. Inside class, although some felt “stupid” after interacting with local Caucasians, others eventually became confident after being able to participate in discussions. Outside class, quite a number of them displayed agency in taking active steps to achieve their expectations, including exploring pubs for the first time, working as a waitress every night, joining a “special” religious group and befriending a “mentally unstable … old man”. Regardless of their experiences, all the bilinguals changed and adapted according to their surrounding contexts, but there was continuity amidst their change. This chapter explores the processes of their identity construction and adjustment across space and time.
