Short-Term Study Abroad: Predicting Changes in Oral Skills

Autor/in	Martinsen, Rob A.
Titel	Short-Term Study Abroad: Predicting Changes in Oral Skills
Quelle	In: Foreign Language Annals, 43 (2010) 3, S.504-530 (27 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0015-718X
DOI	10.1111/j.1944-9720.2010.01095.x
Schlagwörter	Cultural Awareness; Foreign Countries; Language Skills; Native Speakers; Study Abroad; Oral Language; Prediction; Spanish; Second Language Learning; Learning Motivation; Second Language Instruction; Skill Development; Achievement Gains; Argentina + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Cultural identity; Kulturelle Identität; Ausland; Language skill; Sprachkompetenz; Muttersprachler; Studies abroad; Auslandsstudium; Oral interpretation; Mündlicher Sprachgebrauch; Vorhersage; Spanisch; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Motivation for studies; Lernmotivation; Fremdsprachenunterricht; Kompetenzentwicklung; Qualifikationsentwicklung; Achievement gain; Leistungssteigerung; Argentinien
Abstract	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. (Contains 1 note, 5 tables, and 2 figures.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10