Investigating the impact of a semester-long study abroad program on L2 reading and vocabulary development

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 276-297
Author(s):  
Judith Borràs ◽  
Àngels Llanes
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Reading Fluency ◽  
Vocabulary Development ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
L2 Reading ◽  
L2 Vocabulary ◽  
Study Abroad Program ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This study investigates the impact that a semester-long study abroad program has on the L2 reading and vocabulary development of a group of Catalan/Spanish bilinguals learning English as an L2 (n = 30). Another objective is to determine whether gains in participants’ vocabulary and reading – if any – are related to their initial L2 proficiency and L2 vocabulary level. Participants were administered (1) a reading text, (2) the Updated Vocabulary Levels Test, (3) a written essay, (4) a placement test and (5) an online questionnaire before and after their SA experiences. The results suggest that the sojourn was positive for participants’ reading comprehension, receptive vocabulary and lexical accuracy, but not for reading fluency, lexical fluency, lexical density and lexical sophistication. It was also found that the students’ initial L2 vocabulary and proficiency level were related to gains in receptive vocabulary and reading comprehension.

scholarly journals L2 reading and vocabulary development after a short Study Abroad experience

2020 ◽  
pp. 35-55
Author(s):  
Judith Borràs ◽  
Àngels Llanes
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Reading Fluency ◽  
Vocabulary Development ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Placement Test ◽  
L2 Reading ◽  
Vocabulary Skills ◽  
Fluency And Comprehension ◽  
Reading Text

This study explores the development of L2 reading and vocabulary as a result of a short (3-week) SA experience. Given the growing literature on Study Abroad (SA) research, this investigation attempts to shed some light on two rather under-researched areas such as L2 reading and vocabulary, and it does so with a group of adolescents (n= 52), a population often neglected by the SA research despite being one of the most common participants in SA programmes. The participants, Spanish learners of English (L2), were administered a placement test to determine their initial L2 level, a reading text (from which fluency and comprehension were calculated), the Updated Vocabulary Level Test to measure their receptive vocabulary knowledge, and a written essay to capture their productive vocabulary development in terms of lexical accuracy, fluency, density and sophistication. The results indicate that short SA experiences are positive for both reading fluency and comprehension as well as for receptive vocabulary development. Findings are not so positive in terms of productive vocabulary skills. Finally, results failed to show a direct relationship between gains in reading, and initial proficiency and vocabulary level.

scholarly journals The Impact of Preschool Education on L1 Vocabulary Development and Sequential Bilingualism: The Case of Arab Schoolchildren

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 121
Author(s):  
Ahmed Masrai
Keyword(s):  
First Language ◽  
Vocabulary Development ◽  
Preschool Education ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
L2 Vocabulary ◽  
L1 And L2 ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Early Childhood Settings

Considerable research has investigated the effect of preschool education on subsequent school success and proposed a positive link between the two. Less research, however, has directly investigated the influence of preschool education on children’s vocabulary development. This paper reports on a study that examines the impact of preschool education on children’s first language (L1) vocabulary development in early childhood settings and the potential impact this has on the successive acquisition of second language (L2) vocabulary in later school years. To conduct the study, data from 200 Arabic-English successive bilingual children were collected. The data are scores on receptive vocabulary knowledge in L1 and L2 of two groups of fourth grade schoolchildren (with and without preschool education). The results show that: (1) preschool education contributes largely to L1 vocabulary development and L2 vocabulary acquisition; (2) there is a strong link between L1 and L2 receptive vocabulary knowledge; and (3) bilingual mental lexicon size is predicted by preschool education. The present study provides further insights on the relation between preschool education and L1 vocabulary growth and the influence of this on sequential bilingualism. These findings will allow informed decisions on the support for preschool education by parents and educational policymakers.

Studying Abroad to Inform Teaching in a Diverse Society

2017 ◽  
pp. 52-70
Author(s):  
Carolyn Walker Hitchens ◽  
Patricia Clark ◽  
Anthony Kline ◽  
Winnie Mucherah ◽  
Scott Popplewell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Education ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Education Program ◽  
General Description ◽  
General Overview ◽  
Studying Abroad ◽  
Diverse Society ◽  
Personal Reflections ◽  
Study Abroad Program ◽  
The Impact

This chapter presents information about Ball State University's Study Abroad Program within the Department of Elementary Education. A general description of students enrolled in the Elementary Education program is given, both historically and currently. Then the origins of the Ball State Elementary Education Study Abroad program are explained, followed by a description of countries and program types that have occurred over the years. A general overview of program considerations, including making contacts, recruiting students, and working with schools is then provided. Next, three travel programs in the department are described, including development, recruitment, and vignettes focusing on experiences in each program. Next, research about program experiences is presented, including the impact of study abroad experiences on students. Personal reflections from instructors who have participated will then be shared. Finally, suggestions about developing and implementing programs will be identified.

scholarly journals Overcoming reading comprehension difficulties through a prosodic reading intervention: A single-case study

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nuria Calet ◽  
M. Carmen Pérez-Morenilla ◽  
Macarena De los Santos-Roig
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Reading Fluency ◽  
Reading Intervention ◽  
Reading Interventions ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Repeated Reading ◽  
Conclusive Evidence ◽  
Prosodic Features ◽  
Single Case Design ◽  
The Impact

Apart from speed and accuracy, prosody has recently been included as another component of skilled reading, as its role in reading comprehension is being increasingly recognized. Prosodic reading refers to the use of prosodic features of language during reading, including suitable pauses, stress and intonation and appropriate phrasing. The aim of this research was to examine the impact of a prosodic reading intervention on the reading comprehension of a fourth-grade primary child with specific reading comprehension difficulties. An AB single-case design was used with baseline (A) and treatment (B) phases. The intervention, in 17 sessions, was based on repeated reading with a focus on expressiveness. Results pointed to improved reading fluency and reading comprehension scores over baseline scores. Nevertheless, more studies are needed to show conclusive evidence for improved comprehension as a result of prosody intervention. The implications of prosodic reading interventions for literacy development are discussed.

scholarly journals Development and Validation of the Wesleyan Intercultural Competence Scale (WICS): A Tool for Measuring the Impact of Study Abroad Experiences

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Stemler ◽  
Toshie Imada ◽  
Carolyn Sorkin
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
External Validation ◽  
Developmental Theory ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Study Abroad Programs ◽  
Competence Scale ◽  
Study Abroad Program ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

One of the most frequently cited aims of higher education institutions is to help students develop intercultural competence. Study abroad programs are a primary vehicle for helping to achieve this goal; however, it has been difficult to quantify their impact as most existing measures of intercultural competence rely on subjective self-report methods that are easy to fake and that suffer from ceiling effects when attempting to measure change over time. Building on Bennett’s (1986) developmental theory, the current paper describes a new test–the Wesleyan Intercultural Competence Scale (WICS)–that uses a situational judgment testing approach to measure the development of intercultural competence within the context of a study-abroad experience. A total of 97 study-abroad students from Wesleyan took the WICSalong with eight external validation measures and a background questionnaire. Thirty participants took the test at two time points–once at the beginning of a study-abroad program and once at the end. The results indicate that the WICShad strong evidence in support of its content, construct, and criterion-related validity. In addition, the WICSwas capable of detecting changes in the development of intercultural competence over time in a way that none of the other validation measures were. The substantive findings revealed that the amount of time spent speaking the local language and the number of different situations experienced were strong predictors of the development of intercultural competence. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Phonological memory training and its effect on second language vocabulary development

2020 ◽  
pp. 026765831989851
Author(s):  
Alexandra Karousou ◽  
Theodora Nerantzaki
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Vocabulary Development ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Phonological Memory ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
L2 Vocabulary ◽  
Experimental Group

Recent studies highlight the important contribution of phonological working memory (PM) in the early stages of both native and foreign language development. However, research on the effects of PM training on language development is very limited. This study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of a PM training educational intervention as a means of fostering vocabulary development in beginner-level young learners of English as a second/foreign language (L2). A double-blind pretest–posttest quasi-experimental design was adopted, with an experimental group ( n = 50) and a matched active control group ( n = 47). All participants were initially assessed with an English-sounding nonword repetition test and an English language vocabulary test (receptive and productive). In addition, the experimental group students participated in the PM training (33 sessions of 15-minutes length within 12 weeks), while the control students participated in non-phonological-memory related English language activities. After the conclusion of the intervention, PM and L2 vocabulary were reassessed in both groups. Results confirm previous findings on the significant relationship between PM and L2 vocabulary size and provide evidence for PM trainability, as well as on resultant L2 productive vocabulary gains. No effect of PM training was detected on receptive vocabulary development. Results are discussed with regard to their theoretical implications, and to possible applications of PM training as a method for supporting vocabulary development in the L2 classroom.

scholarly journals Catalyzing Cultural and Global Competencies: Engaging Preservice Teachers in Study Abroad to Expand the Agency of Citizenship

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Jon Byker ◽  
S. Michael Putman
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Research University ◽  
The United States ◽  
Global Competencies ◽  
Intercultural Awareness ◽  
International Teaching ◽  
Study Abroad Program ◽  
The Impact

Study abroad is an experiential learning pedagogy that has many positive outcomes. In the field of teacher education, study abroad provides opportunity for the development of global competencies and agency. Similarly, study abroad can help expand notions of what it means to be a global citizen. This article examines the effects of preservice teachers engaging in a study abroad program to South Africa. Critical Cosmopolitan Theory provides the article’s theoretical frame for the investigation of the impact of this study abroad program. The study’s participant sample comprised preservice teachers from a large research university located in the Southeast region of the United States ( N = 21). Using a mixed-methods research design, the study examined the participants’ perceptions of their study abroad and international teaching experiences. It was found that the study abroad experience was a catalyst for enhancing preservice teachers’ global competencies, intercultural awareness, and cultural responsiveness as the participants widened their perspectives of what it means to be a critically cosmopolitan educator and citizen.

Testing Assumptions: The Impact of Two Study Abroad Program Models

2005 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Mohajeri Norris ◽  
Mary M. Dwyer
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Hybrid Model ◽  
Program Model ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Study Abroad Program ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Model Continuum

There are considerable variables in study abroad program designs; however, this article focuses on the learning context. The purposes of this study, we define and compare the impacts of two types of programs on the program model continuum: the facilitated direct enrollment model and the hybrid model.

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