Living and learning in another country, primary conditions of the study abroad experience, are commonly associated with two fundamental outcomes. The first outcome is an increase in "external" connections, manifested through an increased ability to converse in another language and an increased understanding and sensitivity to another culture. The…

The present paper aims to achieve a better understanding of the process of vocabulary acquisition by examining the development of lexical knowledge in both classroom and study abroad contexts. Taking Ife, Vives Boix, and Meara's (2000) study as a starting point, this study attempts to determine whether development in both levels of vocabulary…

This paper presents findings of a pilot qualitative study of Caribbean students undertaking overseas immersion primarily for the purpose of perfecting their knowledge of a language and understanding of a culture other than their own. The participants were a group of eleven University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill (Barbados) graduates, five…

Forty years ago, "abroad" meant little contact with home. Times have changed. Today a U.S. study abroad guidance website advises that Internet access is absolutely essential during study abroad, partly for access to local and world information, but "most importantly, it's the best way to connect to one's friends and family back home." The present…

Research shows that study abroad experience affects professional qualifications. It is evident that employers value the skills and knowledge potentially gained from study abroad and that these competencies are transferable on the job. Nearly all known research lacks a longitudinal component. Of the few studies that focus on long-term outcomes,…

Of the 205,000 U.S. students abroad during the 2004-2005 academic year, only 6,557 or slightly more than 3% of them studied in Germany. The Ohio Alliance reports that only 13% of all U.S. students who studied abroad during the 2004-2005 academic year were from the STEM fields of study. The Institute of International Education Open Doors Report,…

Helping students and others facing the task of adapting to a foreign culture is becoming ever more pressing. The current study delves into sociocultural adaptation in order to clarify that process and provide information useful for educators, trainers, coaches, and others guiding those facing a sojourn in a foreign culture. A question to be…

Six years ago, Georgetown University's Office of International Programs, together with partner institutions, designed a large-scale, multi-year study of U.S. student learning abroad. The data support three broad conclusions with significant implications for study abroad policies and practices. This analysis concentrates for the most part on one…

EIn this article, the author presents a little-known but detailed history of Black women's tradition of study abroad. Specifically, she situates Dr. Anna Julia Cooper within the landscape of historic African American students who studied in Japan, Germany, Jamaica, England, Italy, Haiti, India, West Africa, and Thailand, in addition to France. The…

Education abroad has become an increasingly important educational program (experience) in global learning and development, intercultural competence, intercultural maturity, and intercultural sensitivity of students. Evidence exists that education abroad is a powerful influence on student's attitudes, intercultural skills, learning within a…

Study abroad is often referred to, first and foremost, as an intercultural experience during which "cultures" are encountered and for which mobile students should be prepared. This article, which is based on research carried out on various aspects of student mobility in Europe, and more precisely in Finland, aims to go beyond the "myths" related…

While many educators who work closely with study abroad programs could conjure up a litany of testimonials about the dramatic impact of study abroad, it is often difficult to move beyond vaguely descriptive accounts to reliable data showing how this experience influenced a student's growth in intercultural sensitivity and awareness. King and…

Study abroad (SA) is one of the flagship offerings among United States higher education institutions. Approximately 220,000 students studied abroad in the 2005/2006 academic year, 52.8% of whom studied on programs that lasted eight weeks or less. The effect of these short-term programs on second language development has been little investigated,…

In the ongoing dialogue surrounding the project and facilitation of education abroad, several articles and presentations have positioned the conversation in the context of Western colonial history and the behaviors of the colonial traveler. Quite appropriately, such discussions have sought to raise consciousness in regard to the danger of modeling…

Foreign language professionals have demonstrated the benefits of learning language in an immersion environment and intercultural specialists can attest to the benefits of exposure to different world views in terms of increased tolerance for ambiguity and acceptance of difference. Study abroad can be a tremendously beneficial and positive…