The present study examined differential social experiences of international students living in a residential hall called 'Nihongo House' (Japanese language house) at a Japanese university. By conducting social network analysis (SNA), as well as making use of ethnographic data collected through participant observation and semi-structured interviews, we explain how constellations of interpersonal relations at the house transformed over the course of one semester and what factors were responsible for those changes. Additionally, we present three focal cases of international students. These students--with different motivational orientations, personal dispositions and abilities, and social standing--went through diverse social processes, which led to different levels of success in respective accounts . Based on the analysis, we discuss how social experiences of these students in this particular setting can be understood in relation to their language use and potential development and how this type of residential hall can effectively nurture interpersonal relationships.