Short-Term Study Abroad: Predicting Changes in Oral Skills

• Published in: Foreign language annals Vol. 43; no. 3; pp. 504 - 530
• Main Author: Martinsen, Rob A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Blackwell Publishing Inc 01.09.2010; Wiley-Blackwell; American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
• Subjects: Achievement Gains; Argentina; Cultural Awareness; culture and language learning; Foreign Countries; Foreign language learning; International education; International Educational Exchange; Language culture relationship; Language Skills; Learning Motivation; linguistic gains; Linguistics; motivation; Native Speakers; Oral Language; oral skills; Prediction; Second Language Instruction; Second Language Learning; short-term study abroad; Skill Development; Spanish; Spanish language; Study Abroad; Argentina; United States > US; Mexico
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1944-9720.2010.01095.x
• ISSN: 0015-718X

: Increasing numbers of students are opting for study abroad programs of 2 months or less while research on study abroad generally focuses on semester‐ or year‐long programs. This study quantitatively examines changes in students' spoken Spanish after 6 weeks in Argentina using native speaker ratings of student speech. The researcher then uses self‐report measures to determine which of the following variables predict improvements in speaking, pre‐program motivation and intercultural sensitivity, relationship with the host family, and interaction with native speakers. Results suggest that short‐term programs can benefit language skills, as the majority of students in this program demonstrated small yet highly significant improvements in spoken Spanish even though a percentage of students showed a decrease in their skills. Surprisingly, only pre‐program levels of cultural sensitivity predicted students' improvements in language skills, providing further evidence of the importance of culture in language learning.