ERIC Number: EJ945382
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0015-718X
EISSN: N/A
Making the Most of the "New" Study Abroad: Social Capital and the Short-Term Sojourn
Castaneda, Martha E.; Zirger, Megan L.
Foreign Language Annals, v44 n3 p544-564 Fall 2011
This study explores the role of social capital during a short-term study abroad experience in a nontraditional setting. The authors employed ethnographic methodologies to examine the impact of social capital on students traveling to a small town in a developing nation. The analysis revealed that students capitalized on abundant networks available via the host family, the community, and the service location to achieve their stated goals of language and culture development. Given an urgent need to maximize short-term study abroad, we suggest that study abroad curricula actively engage the host family, community, and service location to tap into established social networks. This can ensure that students experience meaningful, sustained contact with native speakers during a short-term sojourn and achieve language and culture goals. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)
Descriptors: Developing Nations, Social Capital, Study Abroad, Role, Ethnography, Social Networks, Second Language Learning, Educational Objectives, Cultural Awareness, Native Speakers, Spanish, College Students, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Honduras
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A