Global Citizenship and Local Social Relations in the Discourse of Self- Development: Translanguaging in Address Terms

This study examines communicative practices of a group of South Korean adults conducting self‑organized English practice to develop their oral competence in English. In the context of globalization, these young Koreans organized a study group that practiced English‑mediated communication as a means of self-development—a collective discourse in South Korea that encourages individuals to make relentless efforts to develop oneself. However, in this study of communicative practices in a study group, I found that members of the group endorse not only such a societal discourse but also the making of locally-based social relationships among the people sharing similar values and goals. I interpret the instances of simultaneous English–Korean use as translanguaging and examine the interactional sequences where Korean terms of address/reference come into the English-based communication, which can be read as a flexible embracement of the locally-rooted social relations within the practice of a global language.