scholarly journals The effect of short-term study abroad on second language Spanish phonetic development

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvina Bongiovanni ◽  
Avizia Y. Long ◽  
Megan Solon ◽  
Erik W. Willis
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Individual Variation ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Study ◽  
Short Term Study ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
A Minor ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThis study explores the impact of study abroad (SA) on second language Spanish phonetic development. Twenty-seven English-speaking learners of Spanish, 15 who were participating in a 4-week SA program in the Dominican Republic and 12 who were studying at their home (AH) institution, were recorded 5 weeks apart (at the approximate beginning and end of their respective programs). Recordings were analyzed acoustically, and four groups of segments were examined: word-initial /p t k/, intervocalic /b d ɡ/, intervocalic /ɾ/ and /r/, and word-final /l/. Productions at Time 1 and Time 2 as well as between the SA and AH groups were compared. Results suggested a minor benefit of the SA environment for phonetic development of some of the segments but with notable individual variation in both groups.

The role of immersion learning in the acquisition and processing of L2 gender agreement

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabrielle Klassen ◽  
Aline Ferreira ◽  
John W. Schwieter
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Morphological Variability ◽  
Selection Task ◽  
Gender Agreement ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Study ◽  
Reading Task ◽  
Short Term Study

Abstract In this paper, we examine the effects of learning environment on second language (L2) gender agreement. English speakers learning L2 Spanish participated in a self-paced reading task and a picture selection task prior to and after a short-term study abroad experience. The results from the self-paced reading task showed that their reliance on the masculine article as the default (e.g., McCarthy, Corrine. 2008. Morphological variability in the comprehension of agreement: An argument for representation over computation. Second Language Research 24(4). 459–486) was reduced over time abroad. Findings from the picture selection task showed that the learners did not attend to the gender of articles unless it was their only cue, but that after the study abroad experience they began to use gender as an anticipatory cue for lexical selection. We interpret these results as support for an adapted version of the Shallow Structures Hypothesis (Clahsen, Harald & Claudia Felser. 2006a. Grammatical processing in language learners. Applied Psycholinguistics 27(1). 3–42; Clahsen, Harald & Claudia Felser. 2006b. How native-like is non-native language processing? Trends in Cognitive Sciences 10(12). 564–570) and the notion that in immersion contexts L2 learners shift their parsing strategy to be more communicatively focused (Schwieter, John W. & Gabrielle Klassen. 2016. Linguistic advances and learning strategies in a short-term study abroad experience. Study Abroad Research in Second Language Acquisition and International Education 1(2). 217–247).

Duration Matters: Separating the Impact of Depth and Duration in Study Abroad Programs

2019 ◽  
pp. 102831531988738
Author(s):  
Stephen B. DeLoach ◽  
Mark R. Kurt ◽  
Neal H. Olitsky
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Academic Program ◽  
Global Awareness ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Study Abroad Programs ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
Short Term Study ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
The Impact

Study abroad participation has increased dramatically over the past two decades, primarily through the growth of short-term study abroad experiences. Given this, it is logical to ask whether short-term experiences are capable of delivering student learning outcomes equivalent to those of long-term experiences. The research presented in this article addresses this question by asking if program duration (i.e., temporal length of the academic program) or depth (i.e., focused and reflective interaction with the destination culture) has a greater impact on changes in students’ global awareness. A longitudinal study across 80 study abroad programs from a single institution, measured global awareness pre- and post-abroad experience. This design controlled for preexisting differences (self-selection) and allowed us to rigorously estimate the relative effects of depth and duration across four dimensions of global awareness. Results show that a longer duration was associated with significant changes in three out of the four global awareness dimensions measured. The only depth measure that positively and significantly impacted global awareness was when the study abroad destination was a non-English speaking country. Even in this instance, the impact non-English speaking destination was increased further for longer durations.

scholarly journals Assessing changes in mood state in university students following short-term study abroad

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0261762
Author(s):  
Tsukasa Yamanaka ◽  
Noriko Yamagishi ◽  
Norberto Eiji Nawa ◽  
Stephen J. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
University Students ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Mood State ◽  
Mood States ◽  
Satisfaction With Life Scale ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Study ◽  
Short Term Study ◽  
The Impact

Short-term study-abroad (STSA) programs provide a more accessible alternative for students who would otherwise not consider engaging in academic activities overseas. Though improvements in the levels of intercultural sensitivity and general academic aspects attained by STSA programs have been previously examined, much less is known regarding the impact such programs have in the mood of students. Here, we examined changes in mood state associated with participation in an STSA program in a group of Japanese university students. Mood states were assessed using the Profile of Mood States (POMS), the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), and the Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6). Results indicated that the POMS mean scores of Vigor-Activity and SWLS peaked at the time immediately following participation in the STSA program; moreover, the same scores were found to be at comparable levels even one month after the end of the program. These results indicate that participation in STSA programs can positively influence the mood state of university students, suggesting that the benefits associated with participation in such programs extend beyond typically reported improvements in the academic domain.

scholarly journals The Impact of Short-Term Study Abroad on Online Learners

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (Winter) ◽  
pp. 145-149
Author(s):  
Jennifer Malerich
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Professional Status ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Online Learners ◽  
Term Study ◽  
Design Elements ◽  
Short Term Study ◽  
The Impact

Even in countries with high availability of higher education, students increasingly choose online education over in-person immersion learning. As online learners begin to study abroad little is known about their motivations for, or professional and academic expectations of, the experience, nor the impact of their participation. The author hypothesizes that when compared to the traditional in-person immersion student, online study abroad students have distinct motivations and expectations due to their life experience, professional status and personal goals and also undergo greater growth in areas such as tolerance, critical thinking and global awareness. This research uses surveys, a standardized assessment tool, interviews and focus groups to incorporate both quantitative data and qualitative data in an attempt to understand the profile of the online student participating in a short-term study abroad program, their motivations and expectations, and resulting outcomes. Implications include identifying program design elements specific to the needs of online learners.

Linguistic advances and learning strategies in a short-term study abroad experience

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
John W. Schwieter ◽  
Gabrielle Klassen
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Study ◽  
Short Term Study

This study investigates lexical and morpho-syntactic development in comprehension and production among university-level students who participated in a second language (L2) study abroad program. Prior to and at the conclusion of the short-term study abroad experience, English language learners of Spanish participated in a verbal fluency measure along with comprehension and production tasks. The verbal fluency measure revealed rapid lexical gains. However, the comprehension and production tasks showed that the comprehension of grammatical gender agreement was excellent, while the accuracy in the production of morpho-syntactic agreement decreased over the limited time spent abroad. We analyze this counterintuitive trend as a shift in learning strategy: from grammatical accuracy to communicative ease, in line with a theory of U-shaped development in second language learners (e.g., Sharwood Smith & Kellerman, 1989) and previous observations about the study abroad environment (Isabelli-García, 2010). Other analyses of morpho-syntactic accuracy in our production data provide additional support for this argument.

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