Roam around the world……

Study abroad, culture and language learning

Study abroad and the L2

Ask a partner, “What are some factors that predict improvements in language skills when students go abroad?”

Think back to the articles we’ve read; Martinsen, Brecht et al (Russian), Georgetown Consortium etc.

Study abroad and the L2

Ask a partner, “What are some factors that predict improvements in language skills when students go abroad?”

--Brecht et al.,

more time spent speaking exclusively in Russian made greater gains

Lower initial level = greater gains.

Be a man, you’ll learn more Russian.

Study abroad and the L2

Ask a partner, “What are some factors that predict improvements in language skills when students go abroad?”

--Martinsen, Who does he think he is?

What did he say?

The more culturally sensitive before the program

The more lang. improvements

Study abroad and the L2

Ask a partner, “What are some factors that predict improvements in language skills when students go abroad?”

-Georgetown Consortium study

Be a woman, you’ll learn more.

Study abroad for more than a semester

Content course taught in the target language NOT A Learn Spanish class

More time with host family=more improvement in language skills.

Pre-departure orientation with culture

Hmmm…. -Rigoberto was raised a monolingual English speaker

and has never been outside the U.S.

His only significant exposure to the language other than the Taco Bell Chihuahua has been his 4 semesters of college Spanish through which

He has reached the intermediate mid level in Spanish according to the ACTFL guidelines.

After spending a semester in México with a traditional study abroad program where would he likely end up on the ACTFL scale?

-What if his name was not Rigoberto, her name was Lulu or Michelle or Sandra?

Culture learning;Study Abroad styleWhat kind of culture learning takes place in study

abroad?Think about an article by Seelye that you read but we have not yet discussed.

-Big C culture, What is it?

-Little C culture, What is it?

-Which type of culture learning has been focused on in the readings?

Larger debate about purposes of university lang. learning

Culture learning;Study Abroad styleThink about an article that we’ve read

Martinsen, Wilkinson, Georgetown Consortium etc.

Ask a partner, What factors predict culture learning in Study Abroad?

Martinsen, (This guy is everywhere)(Who makes their students read their own stuff???? Wackjob).

What did he say about culture learning?

Culture learning;Study Abroad styleMore interaction leads to greater gains in

cultural sensitivity.

Always?????

Interacting with native speakers, good for youW/O intervention, students abroad generally

have superficial and infrequent interactions with native speakers.

Think back on the articles that we’ve read, Isabelli, Pellegrino, Wilkinson etc. and with a partner come up with two reasons “Why?”

--Turn to a partner and say “Hablame en Español”

--How did that go?

Interacting with native speakers, good for you W/O intervention, students abroad generally have superficial

and infrequent interactions with native speakers.

Think back on the articles that we’ve read, Isabelli, Pellegrino, Wilkinson etc. and with a partner come up with two reasons “Why?”

Wilkinson,

--Students take the conversation patterns of the FL classroom with them

--There is no communicative purpose.

--It’s always hard to meet new people, especially if you have no connection with them other than, gosh I’d like to meet some Brazilians.

Interacting with native speakers, is like eating vegetables--What did Pellegrino and Aveni say about our

psychology and why we don’t learn more abroad?

self-construction in L2 learners?

Sense of status –

When it’s threatened self image is weakened.

Control over interaction –

Lack of validation –

Safety is in jeopardy –

How to change one’s self image in the L2?

Improve L2 skills

Realize Mistakes are OK

Strategies

Self Talk

Interaction prep.

DiscussionWith your vast knowledge of study abroad

research ------ Try to answer this question.

If you were planning study abroad what activities or experiences would you create?

Similarly, as a program director, how will you approach study abroad differently now that you have read these articles?