The Difficulties of Measuring Language Proficiency in a Study Abroad Context
Open Access
- Author:
- Shtivelman, Ilana
- Area of Honors:
- Spanish
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- John Lipski, Thesis Supervisor
John Lipski, Thesis Honors Advisor
Celeste S Kinginger, Faculty Reader - Keywords:
- study abroad
language proficiency
communicative capacity
intellectual curiosity
home stay
interaction
WTC
L2 - Abstract:
- This thesis poses the following questions: what is meant by proficiency in a second language, within study abroad contexts? What are some of the complications (both concept wise when measuring proficiency, and in terms of conducting research) when measuring proficiency and researching whether a semester of education abroad does in fact contribute to the improvement of language proficiency of a college student’s second language? This thesis offers an overview of some of the difficulties of measuring language proficiency in a college student’s L2 (second language) in study abroad contexts. The premise presented in this thesis is that there are some difficulties and limitations to researching and proving that proficiency is improved during a semester of a study abroad program. It is difficult to assess the degree to which study abroad may improve proficiency, due to certain criteria used to measure proficiency in some studies. Nonetheless, research does show that a semester of a study abroad program is advantageous, and will benefit a college student’s language acquisition and proficiency of an L2 language. For instance, these findings can be applied to students’ semesters abroad in Spain, and the impact of that experience on their Spanish (as an L2) proficiency. The conclusion is that a semester long study abroad program may in fact have positive effects on a college student’s language acquisition and proficiency, and is valuable in a cost-benefit analysis. Additionally, this thesis is intended to underscore that despite the numerous studies done in the field of education abroad, a lot more research remains to be done, particularly while considering some of the limiting factors. Lastly, this is a gateway to advocate for study abroad (given some of its advantages), through compiling and analyzing some qualitative data.