ERIC Number: EJ778938
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007
Pages: 19
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0026-7902
EISSN: N/A
Effects of Study-Abroad Experiences on EFL Writers: A Multiple-Data Analysis
Sasaki, Miyuki
Modern Language Journal, v91 n4 p602-620 Win 2007
This study was a comparison of the changes in English writing behavior of 7 Japanese university students (the study-abroad group) who spent 4 to 9 months in English-speaking countries with those of 6 counterparts majoring in British and American studies (the at-home group) who remained in Japan. The study aimed at confirming the results of Sasaki (2004), who investigated similar students' English-writing behavior over 3.5 years. After a 1-year observation period, (a) both groups improved their general English proficiency; (b) only those in the study-abroad group improved their second language (L2) writing ability and fluency; (c) unlike Sasaki's participants, the study-abroad group made more local plans and the at-home group fewer; (d) at the end of the study, both groups translated their ideas into the L2 as often as they did at the beginning of the study; and (e) only the study-abroad group became more motivated to write better L2 compositions.
Descriptors: American Studies, Writing Skills, Data Analysis, English (Second Language), Study Abroad, Second Language Learning, Foreign Countries, Comparative Analysis, Majors (Students), Language Proficiency, Writing Improvement
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Japan; United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A