The interconnectedness of language and culture in a study abroad environment has long been discussed in study abroad research circles. While some researchers see the relationship as complementary (Kasper & Omori, 2010; Selmeski, 2007), others go further to point out a more complex interrelationship (Kramsch, 2003; Silverstein, 2004; Watson, 2010). In the field of study abroad outcomes, researchers from various disciplines have explored this relationship by looking at gains in sociolinguistic & pragmatic competence (DuFon & Churchhill, 2006; Kinginger & Farrell, 2004) as well as intercultural competence (Deardorff, 2006; Schauer, 2009; Watson et al., 2013). Still others are beginning to look at this relationship from a Second Language Socialization (SLS) perspective (Allen & Herron, 2003; Wang, 2010). Using data from an academic semester abroad program, this study explores this relationship by looking at both the gains in language proficiency and intercultural competence after a semester abroad as well as their relationship to several socialization aspects of the during-immersion experience. The basic research question is: Is there a relationship between socialization aspects during study abroad (e.g., amount of time spent interacting with host families/native speakers, time spent speaking English, time spent participating in cultural activities) and gains in language proficiency and intercultural competence? This article will first provide an overview of relevant research on language proficiency and intercultural competence as outcomes of study abroad and then discuss the link between language and culture during study abroad from a Second Language Socialization perspective. Once this framework has been laid, the authors move on to discuss the findings and analysis of the current study.