Enhancing Study Abroad

Suggested reading:

http://calper.la.psu.edu/studyabroad.php

ANNOUNCEMENT: In the development of advanced language ability, study abroad is generally understood to be the quintessential learning experience. It is assumed to offer access to interaction with native speakers in a wide variety of settings, to bring students into close contact with the cultural and interactive practices of the host country, and to yield dramatic increases in language proficiency, cultural awareness and intercultural communicative competence. As previous studies have shown, the outcomes of study abroad experiences vary significantly across individuals in terms of specific linguistic features and overall proficiency. These differences may be partially explained by variation in the quality of learners' experiences with regard to access to social networks and subsequent opportunities for interaction in the target language. The full study of CALPER's Study Abroad project has been accepted for publication by Blackwell Publishing and will appear as Volume One of The Modern Language Journal Monograph in 2008. Kinginger, Celeste Language Learning in Study Abroad: Histories of Americans in France.