American Students in Israel: An Evaluation of a Study Abroad Experience
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36366/frontiers.v11i1.150Keywords:
North American students in Israel, Language proficiency, identity, study abroadAbstract
The purpose of this research is to investigate changes in self-ascribed identity among study abroad students in Israel as a result of the time spent in the country, and to examine the gains in their Hebrew language proficiency. Attitudes towards the host country and local culture are also explored for the purpose of better understanding the relationship between students’ identity, Hebrew language proficiency and dispositions about Israel (Gardner, 1985; Giles & Byrne, 1982). Since North America has the largest Jewish community outside Israel, North American students (from the United States and Canada) make up the majority foreign population studying in Israel (Cohen, 2003; United Jewish Communities, 2003). The current study concentrated specifically on North American students taking part in a study abroad program in Israel, seeking to understand how the study abroad experience in Israel influenced students’ identities, attitudes and Hebrew language proficiency.
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References
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Cummins, J. (1979). Cognitive/academic language proficiency, linguistic interdependence, the optimum age question and some other matters. Working Papers on Bilingualism, 19, 121–129.
DeKeyser, R. M. (1991). Foreign language development during a semester abroad. In B. Freed (Ed.). Foreign language acquisition research and the classroom (pp. 104–119). Lexington, MA: DC Heath.
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Marriott, H.E. (1995). The acquisition of politeness patterns by exchange students in Japan. In B. Freed (Ed.). Second language acquisition in a study abroad context (pp. 197–224). Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Milleret, M. (1990). Evaluation and the summer language program abroad: A review essay. The Modern Language Journal, 74, 483–488.
Milton, J and Meara, P. (1995). How periods abroad affect vocabulary growth in a foreign language. Review of Applied Linguistics, 107–108, 17–34.
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Pellegrino. A. V. (1998). Student perspectives on language learning in a study abroad context. Frontiers, 4, 91–120.
Pellegrino, A. V. (2005). Study abroad and second language use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Regan, V. (1995). The acquisition of sociolinguistic native speech norms: Effects of a year abroad on second language learners of French. In B. Freed (Ed.). Second language acquisition in a study abroad context (pp. 245–267). Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Schumann, J. H. (1976). Social distance as a factor in second language acquisition. Language Learning, 26, 135–143.
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Vadish, M. (2004). North American Jewish students in Israel: An evaluation of the study abroad experience. Unpublished M.A. thesis, Tel Aviv: Tel Aviv University.
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Wilkinson, S. (1998). Study abroad from the participants’ perspective: A challenge to common beliefs. Foreign Language Annals, 31 (1) 23–39.
Zisenwine, D., & Schers, D. (Eds.). (1999). Present and future: Jewish culture, identity and language. Tel Aviv: Tel Aviv University.
Arnold, M. (2000, May 24). Looking out from Mount Scopus. The Jerusalem Post, from http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2000/01/07/Features/Features.1114.html
Ben-Bassat, N. (1999). Language and nationality — The effects of Zionism on the teaching of Hebrew. In D. Zisenwine & D. Schers (Eds.). Present and future: Jewish culture, identity and language (pp. 143–169). Tel-Aviv: Tel Aviv University.
Ben-Rafael, E. (1994). Language, identity and social division: the case of Israel. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Brecht, R., Davidson, D., & Ginsberg, R. (1993). Predictors of foreign language gains during study abroad. NFLC Occasional Papers. Washington, DC: National Foreign Language Center.
Chazan, B. (1992). The Israeli trip as Jewish education. Agenda Jewish Education, 1, 30–34.
Cohen, H. E. (2003). Tourism and religion: A case study of visiting students in Israeli universities. Journal of Travel Research, 42(1), 36–47.
Coleman, J. A. (1997). Residence abroad within language study. Language Teaching, 30 (1), 1–20.
Cummins, J. (1979). Cognitive/academic language proficiency, linguistic interdependence, the optimum age question and some other matters. Working Papers on Bilingualism, 19, 121–129.
DeKeyser, R. M. (1991). Foreign language development during a semester abroad. In B. Freed (Ed.). Foreign language acquisition research and the classroom (pp. 104–119). Lexington, MA: DC Heath.
Donitsa-Schmidt, S. (1999). Language maintenance or shift: Determinants of language choice among Soviet immigrants in Israel. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto, Canada.
Freed, B. (1995). Language learning and study abroad. In B. Freed (Ed.). Second language acquisition in a study abroad context (pp. 3–34). Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Freed, B. (1998). An overview of issues and research in language learning in a study abroad setting. Frontiers, 4, 31–60.
Freed, B., Lazar, N. & So, S. (1998). Fluency in writing: Are there differences between students who have studied abroad and those who have not? Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Modern Language Association. December, 1998. San Francisco, CA.
Freed, B., So, S. & Lazar, N. (1999). Perceptions of oral and written fluency in second language use. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Applied Linguistics. March, 1999. Stamford, Connecticut.
Friedlander, D., Talmon, P. M., & Moshayov, D. R. (1991). The one-year program in Israel: An evaluation. New York: American Jewish Committee.
Gardner, R.C. (1985). Social psychology and second language learning: The role of attitudes and motivations. London: Edward Arnold.
Giles, H., & Byrne, J. L. (1982). An intergroup approach to second language acquisition. Journal of Multicultural and Multilingual Development, 3, 17–40.
Harshav, B. (1993). Language in time of revolution. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Herman, S. (1970). American students in Israel. New York: Cornell University Press.
Huebner, T. (1995). The effects of overseas language programs: Report on a case study of an intensive Japanese course. In B. Freed (Ed.). Second language acquisition in a study abroad context (pp. 171–193). Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Jewish Education Committee (1990). Reports on JAFI activities in Jewish education for the Diaspora: The program for overseas students (“One Year Program”). Jerusalem: Melton Center for Jewish Education.
Katriel, T. (1986). Talking straight in dugri speech in Israeli sabra culture. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Keysar, A., & Kosmin, B. A. (1999). North American conservative Jewish teenagers’ attachment to Israel. JPR Reports, 2. London: Institute for Jewish Policy Research.
Kline, R. R. (1993). The social practice of literacy in a program of study abroad. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. The Pennsylvania State University.
Kline, R. R. (1998). Literacy and language learning in a study abroad context. Frontiers, 4, 139–165.
Lapkin, S., Hart, D. & Swain, M. (1995). A Canadian interprovincial exchange: Evaluating the linguistic impact of a three-month stay in Quebec. In B. Freed (Ed.). Second language acquisition in a study abroad context (pp. 67– 94). Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Laubscher, M. L. (1994). Encounters with difference: Student perceptions of the role of out-of-class experiences in education abroad. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
Marriott, H.E. (1995). The acquisition of politeness patterns by exchange students in Japan. In B. Freed (Ed.). Second language acquisition in a study abroad context (pp. 197–224). Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Milleret, M. (1990). Evaluation and the summer language program abroad: A review essay. The Modern Language Journal, 74, 483–488.
Milton, J and Meara, P. (1995). How periods abroad affect vocabulary growth in a foreign language. Review of Applied Linguistics, 107–108, 17–34.
Mittleberg, D. (1994). The Israel visit and Jewish identification. The Institute on American Jewish-Israeli Relations. New York: The American Jewish Committee.
Mittleberg, D. (1999). The Israel connection and American Jews. Westport, CT: Praeger.
Pellegrino. A. V. (1998). Student perspectives on language learning in a study abroad context. Frontiers, 4, 91–120.
Pellegrino, A. V. (2005). Study abroad and second language use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Regan, V. (1995). The acquisition of sociolinguistic native speech norms: Effects of a year abroad on second language learners of French. In B. Freed (Ed.). Second language acquisition in a study abroad context (pp. 245–267). Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Schumann, J. H. (1976). Social distance as a factor in second language acquisition. Language Learning, 26, 135–143.
Shohamy, E., & Donitsa-Schmidt, S. (1998). Jews vs. Arabs: Language attitudes and stereotypes. Tel-Aviv: The Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research at Tel Aviv University.
Spolsky, B. & Shohamy, E. (1999). The languages of Israel: Policy, ideology and practice. Celevedon: Multilingual Matters.
United Jewish Communities. (2003). National Jewish Population Survey 2000–2001: Strength, challenge and diversity in the American Jewish population. New York: UJC Publications.
Vadish, M. (2004). North American Jewish students in Israel: An evaluation of the study abroad experience. Unpublished M.A. thesis, Tel Aviv: Tel Aviv University.
Waxman, C. (1999). Language and identity among America’s Jews. In D. Zisenwine & D. Schers, (Eds.). Present and future: Jewish culture, identity and language (pp. 63–78). Tel Aviv: Tel Aviv University.
Wilkinson, S. (1998). Study abroad from the participants’ perspective: A challenge to common beliefs. Foreign Language Annals, 31 (1) 23–39.
Zisenwine, D., & Schers, D. (Eds.). (1999). Present and future: Jewish culture, identity and language. Tel Aviv: Tel Aviv University.
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Published
2005-08-15
How to Cite
Donitsa-Schmidt, S., & Vadish, M. (2005). American Students in Israel: An Evaluation of a Study Abroad Experience. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 11(1), 33–56. https://doi.org/10.36366/frontiers.v11i1.150
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