Increasing numbers of university students are travelling the globe in search of experiences and qualifications that will ensure their future in many different workplaces. In a world of linguistic diversity, what challenges do they meet, and what barriers, visible and invisible, do they have to overcome? This book presents sociolinguistic research on students' experiences of studying abroad. It gives accounts of students' own expectations, their personal social and psychological developments in challenging international study contexts, the demands they face and the breakthroughs they make. Using a range of research methods, the studies illuminate the many linguistic and educational issues that can confront anyone choosing to study or work abroad. It provides a fascinating inside view of the ramifications of a globalized and linguistically diverse educational market from the point of view of those coming of age within it.