Language Learning in Study Abroad: Case Studies of Americans in France

Kinginger, Celeste

doi:10.1111/j.1540-4781.2008.00821.x

Cited by 461 publications

(494 citation statements)

References 122 publications

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“…This study did not generate any empirical evidence to support this hypothesis. The STRT retest in April 2015 did not yield any significant score gains, or gains in terms of complexity, accuracy, or fluency (for similar finding, see Kinginger, 2008;Amuzie & Winke, 2009;Dewey et al, 2014). The assumption that L2 students' language proficiency will increase over a semester simply by attending classes in Dutch thus seems unlikely.…”

Section: Claim 2: Successful Strt and Itna Candidates Are Ready For Tmentioning

confidence: 92%

University entrance language tests: A matter of justice

2017

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University entrance language tests are often administered under the assumption that even if language proficiency does not determine academic success, a certain proficiency level is still required. Nevertheless, little research has focused on how well L2 students cope with the linguistic demands of their studies in the first months after passing an entrance test. Even fewer studies have taken a longitudinal perspective.Set in Flanders, Belgium, this study examines the opinions and experiences of 24 university staff members and 31 international L2 students, of whom 20 were tracked longitudinally. Attention is also given to test/retest results, academic score sheets, and class recordings. To investigate the validity of inferences made on the basis of L2 students' scores, Kane's (2013) Interpretation/ Use Argument approach is adopted, and principles from political philosophy are applied to investigate whether a policy that discriminates among students based on language test results can be considered just. It is concluded that the receptive language requirements of university studies exceed the expected B2 level and that the Flemish entrance tests include language tasks that are of little importance for first-year students. Furthermore, some of the students who failed the entrance test actually managed quite well in their studies -a result that entails broad implications concerning validation and justice even outside the study's localized setting.

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Section: Claim 2: Successful Strt and Itna Candidates Are Ready For Tmentioning

confidence: 92%

University entrance language tests: A matter of justice

2017

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“…Her study focuses on their holistic experiences of studying abroad and delves into a range of issues including the following: students' motivations for wanting to study abroad, their arrival into the new culture as a rite of passage, culture shock and adaptation, and the development of 'mobility capital'. Similar case studies outside of Europe include Jackson's (2008Jackson's ( , 2010Jackson's ( , 2013 analyses of the experiences of Asian students in the UK, which explore issues of identity, linguistic development, expectations, adaptation to a new culture and personal development, and Kinginger's (2008) narratives of American students in France, which focus primarily on language and identity issues.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultural adaptation in different facets of life and the impact of language: a case study of personal adjustment patterns during study abroad

Beaven

Spencer‐Oatey

2016

Language and Intercultural Communication

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This case study paper focuses on the processes of adaptation that an Erasmus student, Angela, experienced during her study abroad period. It is a longitudinal study that explores how she coped over time with the various adaptation demands that she faced in the different aspects of her life: social-personal aspects (friends and social life, daily life, language for socialisation) and academic aspects (courses, administrative issues, language for academic purposes). The data gathered involved pre-departure and post return interviews, weekly "diary-tables" and monthly interviews while abroad. The findings show that Angela's adaptive journey followed noticeably different trends in the personal and academic domains of her life, demonstrating clearly how adaptation can evolve at different speeds in these different domains, and can result in ups and down throughout the sojourn. Even an aspect such as language was perceived differently in the two overarching domains. Further research, involving a much larger group of respondents, is needed in order to identify whether there are more generalised patterns within these various domains, or whether the patterns are always subject to significant individual and contextual variation. Moreover, further qualitative research is needed in order to understand the reasons that lie behind the ups and downs within each of the domains, and the extent to which they seem to be idiosyncratic or predictable.Il presente articolo riporta un caso di studio e si concentra sui processi di adattamento di una studentessa Erasmus, Angela, durante il suo periodo di studio all'estero. Si tratta di uno studio longitudinale che esplora le esigenze di adattamento avute da Angela in base a diversi aspetti della sua vita: gli aspetti socio-personali (gli amici e la vita sociale, la vita quotidiana, il linguaggio della socializzazione) e gli aspetti accademici (i corsi, le questioni amministrative e quelle legate alla lingua per scopi accademici). I dati sono stati raccolti attraverso interviste condotte prima della partenza e dopo il ritorno, una serie di "tabelle-diario" settimanali e alcune interviste mensili realizzate durante il soggiorno. I risultati mostrano che l'adattamento di Angela segue andamenti diversi nell'ambito personali e in quello accademico. Questo mostra chiaramente come l'adattamento può evolversi a velocità differenti in questi diversi ambiti, e può risultare in "alti e bassi" durante l'intero soggiorno. Anche un aspetto come la lingua è stato percepito in modo differente a seconda che l'ambito fosse personale o accademico. Sarebbero necessarie ulteriori ricerche che coinvolgessero un gruppo molto più ampio di partecipanti; ciò consentirebbe di verificare se ci sono andamenti più generalizzati all'interno di questi vari domini, o se gli andamento sono comunque sempre soggetti a significative variazioni individuali e contestuali. Inoltre, un'ulteriore ricerca * Corresponding author. Email: ana.beaven@unibo.it qualitativa sarebbe necessaria al fine di comprendere le ragioni che...

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“…Another potentially useful method is to document the amount of target language contact. Previous studies have used a survey, diary, and log to examine the extent of language contact and its impact on language gains during study abroad in areas of oral fluency, reading, writing, listening, grammar, vocabulary acquisition, and pragmatics (Dewey 2004, Kinginger 2008, Pérez-Vidal and Juan-Garau 2009, Taguchi 2008. Some of these studies have used a survey called the "Language Contact Profile" (LCP) in order to document learners' amount of outside class contact with the target language ).…”

Section: Effect Of Target Language Context On Formulaic Competencementioning

confidence: 99%

Production of formulaic expressions in L2 Chinese: A developmental investigation in a study abroad context

Taguchi¹,

Li²,

Xiao³

2013

Chinese as a Second Language Research

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This study investigated the development of L2 Chinese formulaic competence in a study abroad context. Participants were 31 American students studying Chinese in a university in China (intermediate-level). They completed a computerized speaking test consisting of 24 formulae-use situations twice during their semester-long study abroad in China. The learners produced a formulaic expression according to each situation, and their production was evaluated on appropriateness (rated on a four-point scale by native speakers) and planning time. In addition, a survey was administered to gather information about the learners' perceived frequency of encounter with formulae-use situations. The learners showed significant gains on appropriateness and fluency. Reported frequency of encounter with target formulae-use situations did not correlate with the gains in formulae production, except for the learners with lower pretest score. Qualitative analysis revealed four patterns of change: (1) change toward target formulae, (2) change toward target-like slot-and-frame patterns, (3) change toward non-target formulae; and (4) stabilized non-target formulae use.

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Language Learning in Study Abroad: Case Studies of Americans in France

Cited by 461 publications

References 122 publications

University entrance language tests: A matter of justice

University entrance language tests: A matter of justice

Cultural adaptation in different facets of life and the impact of language: a case study of personal adjustment patterns during study abroad

Production of formulaic expressions in L2 Chinese: A developmental investigation in a study abroad context

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