scholarly journals Promoting intercultural competence in study abroad students

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Tarchi ◽  
Alessio Surian
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Active Control ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Critical Incident ◽  
Conceptual Knowledge ◽  
Studying Abroad ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Short Intervention ◽  
Study Abroad Students

AbstractUniversities have been promoting study abroad programmes for a long time to improve intercultural competence. However, the mere exposure to cultural differences while studying abroad does not ensure intercultural competence, unless study abroad students’ reflective processes are explicitly targeted. The article presents the results of a short intervention grounded in the problem-based approach aimed at improving intercultural competence in study abroad students. Students were assigned to three conditions: a video-log condition (in which they have to narrate a critical incident occurred to them), a reflection-induced video-logs (in which they were prompted to reflect on the video-logs produced), and an active control condition. The reflection-induced video-log intervention improved students’ perceived proficiency in Italian and perceived opportunities for cultural reflection, but it did not contribute to improve students’ applicable and conceptual knowledge of intercultural competence.

scholarly journals Joe’s Laundry: Using Critical Incidents to Develop Intercultural and Foreign Language Competence in Study Abroad and Beyond

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 47-62
Author(s):  
Tama Lea Engelking
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Critical Incident ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Intercultural Training ◽  
Language Competence ◽  
Training Tool

The development of intercultural competence and foreign language skills in study abroad and the FL classroom is often seen as an either/or proposition due to lack of time, training or the availability of materials in the target language. The Critical Incident method (CI) provides an example of an intercultural training tool that can link these competencies in ways that are developmentally appropriate for the FL and IC levels of the students. This method uses authentic intercultural mishaps to develop critical thinking skills as students reflect on the cultural values and attitudes underlying the experience. Drawing on research in study abroad FL pedagogy, this paper describes the CI method, provides a review of best practices in the context of study abroad, and develops an example of a CI from a study abroad program in France to illustrate how cultural incidents can be used to promote both intercultural and foreign language competence.

A Qualitative Look at the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on American College Students Studying Abroad

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 70-100
Author(s):  
Eric Pedersen ◽  
Reagan Fitzke ◽  
Kathryn Bouskill ◽  
Angeles Sedano
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Academic Programs ◽  
Financial Loss ◽  
Studying Abroad ◽  
Abrupt Changes ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Emotional And Behavioral Health ◽  
Study Abroad Students

COVID-19 has impacted higher education greatly, with many colleges and universities being forced to quickly implement procedures for operation as closures and restrictions shifted many programs online. These abrupt changes amounted to uncertainty and challenges for students worldwide. Students who were studying abroad during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic faced unique challenges as programs shut down and many returned home from overseas. The current study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on U.S. study abroad students through a qualitative lens. Students reported unique stressors related to being abroad during the onset of the pandemic, such as missed experiences, financial loss, travel difficulties, and stressors related to academic programs. Additionally, many reported considerable and lasting impacts on emotional and behavioral health. This study provides preliminary evidence for the effects of COVID-19 on study abroad students, and highlights the importance of addressing the needs of this population during and after the pandemic.

Southeast Asian ESL countries as study abroad destinations: A Korean perspective

English Today ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 46-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hohsung Choe ◽  
Eunmi Son
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Host Country ◽  
Southeast Asian ◽  
Job Market ◽  
Korean Students ◽  
Young Learners ◽  
Hard Time ◽  
Studying Abroad ◽  
Future Success ◽  
Study Abroad Students

The number of Korean students studying abroad has dropped drastically in the last decade. In 2014, 10,907 students ranging from age six to 18 went abroad, just over one-third of the total in 2006 when the number hit its highest peak at 29,511 (Korea Herald, 2015). There are a number of reasons for this apparent trend. First, study abroad students have a hard time adjusting themselves to life in the host country, and it is also common for them to experience readjustment difficulties when returning to Korea. Second, parents believe that children can learn ‘authentic’ English in Korea: various English immersion programmes are now available for young learners. Third, studying abroad no longer guarantees children's future success. Returnees are not preferred in the job market due to their in-between identity.

scholarly journals Using a PRISM for Reflecting: Providing Tools for Study Abroad Students to Increase their Intercultural Competency

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 18-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy Rundstrom Williams
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Reflective Writing ◽  
Know How ◽  
Intercultural Competency ◽  
Study Abroad Students

Numerous studies have shown that simply being in another culture does not guarantee the development of intercultural competence. Students need guidance to seek out opportunities to engage and to make sense of those experiences. Reflection has become a popular methodology to assist students with this. Unfortunately, students often do not know how to do reflective writing or do not have cultural incidents to write about. This research examines one approach to guiding reflection: the use of prompt questions to elicit thoughtful responses and the integration of readings to provide context and grounding. This study demonstrates that reflective writing can be an effective tool for intervening in student learning abroad if done with structure and intentionality.

scholarly journals Intercultural Impact From a Short-Term Study-Abroad Program in Thailand

2020 ◽  
Vol 2019 (1) ◽  
pp. 219
Author(s):  
Brad Deacon ◽  
Kevin Ottoson
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Intercultural Development ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Study ◽  
Studying Abroad ◽  
Short Term Study ◽  
Study Abroad Program

Recent government initiatives have helped increase the number of Japanese students studying abroad. However, our understanding of study abroad and intercultural development is largely informed by research in Western contexts. The purpose of this study was to uncover the key areas that students attribute to their intercultural competence growth and development during a short-term study-abroad program in Thailand. This paper offers findings from open-ended questionnaires that were given to 15 Japanese 2nd-year female university students before and after they participated in a three-week study abroad. Qualitative analysis of the pre-sojourn results primarily revealed health and safety concerns. These concerns were later shown to be mostly unrealized in post-sojourn findings analysis that instead emphasized the importance of students’ psychological and self-fulfillment needs. The implications this research has for language teachers, program coordinators, and other stakeholders who aim to support students’ intercultural development in short-term study-abroad programs are provided. 昨今の政府の取り組みにより、留学へ行く日本の学生数は増加傾向にある。しかし、留学や異文化教育についての私たちの理解は、西洋の文脈における研究から主に情報を得ていると言える。本研究の目的は、タイにおける３週間の留学プログラムの間に、学生の異文化理解やその発達が主に何によってもたらされたのかを明らかにすることだった。参加した１５名の女子学生たち（大学２年生）に対して、留学の事前と事後に自由回答式の質問を与え、その調査結果をもとに明らかになったことをここでは論じていく。事前調査における質的分析では、主に健康や安全面での懸念が明らかになった。これらの懸念は事後調査での分析ではほとんど認められず、代わりに心理的な自己実現欲求が重要な側面であることがわかった。この研究における示唆は、語学教員、留学コーディネーター、そしてその他、短期留学プログラムにおける学生の異文化教育を支援する関係者に向けられる。

scholarly journals Fostering Intercultural Identity During Study Abroad to Strengthen Intercultural Competence

2017 ◽  
pp. 325-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niki Sol
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Identity Negotiation ◽  
Study Abroad Programs ◽  
Education Abroad ◽  
Global Citizens ◽  
Studying Abroad ◽  
Pedagogical Design ◽  
Intercultural Identity

Universities are eager to foster global citizenship within their students, including through study abroad opportunities. However, studying abroad does not necessarily guarantee gains in intercultural competence (Paige & Vande Berg, 2012), especially for the shorter programs that have gained in popularity among university students. This chapter examines the recent literature and argues the need to nurture identity negotiation for students who choose to do part of their higher education abroad; the understanding of one's self is a key component to intercultural competence (Deardorff, 2006). More and more study abroad providers (universities and businesses) have begun to use guided intervention during abroad programs to enhance students' intercultural competence. With careful and intentional pedagogical design, study abroad programs can help students better understand their intercultural identity and become better global citizens.

Transnational Human Capital, Education, and Social Inequality. Analyses of International Student Exchange

2013 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jürgen Gerhards ◽  
Silke Hans
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
International Student ◽  
Sociology Of Education ◽  
Economic Capital ◽  
Studying Abroad ◽  
Filtering Function ◽  
Study Abroad Program

SummaryDue to globalization, skills such as foreign language proficiency and intercultural competence, here referred to as transnational human capital, are becoming increasingly important. A study-abroad program during schooling is one of the most efficient ways to acquire transnational human capital. Until now, class-specific access to transnational capital has remained largely unexplored. With recourse to the literature on the sociology of education and to the work of Pierre Bourdieu, we have developed hypotheses and tested them using German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP) data. The findings indicate that the likelihood of studying abroad is determined a) by the capital available to the parents, b) by the cultural capital and the commitment of the child, c) by the opportunity structure, and d) by family conflicts. Attendance of a ‘Gymnasium’ has a crucial filtering function. Overall, the probability of acquiring transnational human capital through study abroad differs significantly according to the economic capital of the child’s parents.

scholarly journals Friends Matter: The Relationship Between Korean International Students’ Friendship Networks and Study Abroad Outcomes

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-155
Author(s):  
Jae-Eun Jon ◽  
Heeyun Kim ◽  
Soo-yong Byun
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
International Student ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Friendship Networks ◽  
Studying Abroad ◽  
Student Exchange Programs ◽  
Korean International Students

This study examined the determinants of international students’ interactions with different friendship networks and the relationships of these interactions with study abroad outcomes, using data from 482 Korean college students who had participated in international student exchange programs. The results showed that students’ participation in extracurricular and off-campus activities while studying abroad was significantly related to their interactions with local and other international students. The results also showed that students’ interactions with co-national, local, and other international students while studying abroad were positively associated with their intercultural competence, personal development, and career development, even after controlling for other variables. We discuss the policy implications of these findings beyond the Korean context.

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