Social Network Development, Language Use, and Language Acquisition during Study Abroad: Arabic Language Learners’ Perspectives
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36366/frontiers.v22i1.320Keywords:
Study Abroad, Social network, Arabic language learners, Education abroadAbstract
In this paper, we explore language use, social network development, and language acquisition by second learners of Arabic in Jordan and Morocco. Students in these programs reported speaking, listening to, and writing as much English as Arabic during study abroad, but they reported reading more Arabic than English. While patterns indicated similar levels of use of English and Arabic in general, questions focusing on learners' use of language with more familiar friends and acquaintances indicated learners thought they used Arabic more than English with these native friends. Regarding English language use, learners felt that speaking English with natives often created opportunities to interact in Arabic as well. Students’ Arab social networks tended to be small, but there was considerable variation in these networks. The closer their friendships with natives, the more likely students were to report gains in Arabic. English proficiency of friends and acquaintances in one’s social network, degree of friendship, and time spent speaking with people outside of this network predicted language proficiency development.
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References
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Breiner-Sanders, K., Lowe, P., Miles, J., & Swender, E. (2000). ACTFL proficiency guidelines: Speaking—revised 1999. Foreign Language Annals, 33, 13-18.
Campbell, C. (1996). Socializing with the teachers and prior language learning experience: A diary study. In K. M. Bailey & D. Nunan (Eds.), Voices from the classroom (pp. 201-223). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Clark, J. D. (1981). Language. In T. D. Barrows (Ed.), College students’ knowledge and beliefs: A survey of global understanding. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.
Coleman, J. S. (1998). Language learning and study abroad: The European perspective. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Jounral of Study Abroad, 4. Retrieved from http://www.frontiersjournal.com/issues/vol4/vol4-07_Coleman.htm
Dewey, D. P., Ring, S., Gardner, D., & Belnap, R. K. (forthcoming). Social network formation and development during study abroad in the Middle East. System: An International Journal of Educational Technology and Applied Linguistics. D‘Urso, T. (1997). Direct and mediating effects of individualism-collectivism orientation and social support on
international students‘ adjustment. Unpublished PhD Dissertation, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY.
DeKeyser, R. M. (2007). Practice in a second language: Perspectives from applied linguistics and cognitive psychology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Dewey, D. P. (2008). Japanese vocabulary acquisition by learners in three contexts. Fontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 15(Winter), 127-148.
Dufon, M. A., & Churchill, E. (2006). Evolving threads in study abroad research. In M. A. Dufon & E. Churchill (Eds.), Language learners in study abroad contexts (pp. 1-30). Buffalo, NY: Multilingual Matters.
Dyson, P. (1988). The year abroad: Report for the Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges. Oxford: Oxford University Language Teaching Centre.
Fraser, C. C. (2002). Study abroad: An attempt to measure the gains. German as a Foreign Language Journal, 1, 45-65.
Freed, B. F. (1990). Language Learning in a Study Abroad Context: The Effects of Interactive and Noninteractive Out-of-Class Contact on Grammatical Achievement and Oral Proficiency. Georgetown University Round Table on Languages and Linguistics, 459-477.
Freed, B. F. (1995a). Second language acquisition in a study abroad context. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamins Co.
Freed, B. F. (1995b). What makes us think that students who study abroad become fluent? In B. F. Freed (Ed.), Second language acquisition in a study abroad context (pp. 123-148). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamins Publishing Co, 1995.
Freed, B. F. (1998). An overview of issues and research in language learning in a study abroad setting. Frontiers, 4(Fall), 31-60.
Freed, B. F., Dewey, D. P., Segalowitz, N., & Halter, R. (2004). The Language Contact Profile. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 26, 349-356.
Freed, B. F., Segalowitz, N., & Dewey, D. P. (2004). Context of learning and second language fluency in French: Comparing regular classroom, study abroad, and intensive domestic immersion programs. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 26, 275-301.
Ginsberg, R. B., & Miller, L. (2000). What do they do? Activities of students during study abroad. In R. D. Lambert & E. Shohamy (Eds.), Language policy and pedagogy: Essays in honor of A. Ronald Walton. Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Huebner, T. (1995). The effects of overseas language programs: Report on a case study of an intensive Japanese course. In B. F. Freed (Ed.), (pp. 171-193). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamins Publishing Co.
Isabelli, C. L. (2001). Motivation and Extended Interaction in the Study Abroad Context: Factors in the Development of Spanish Language Accuracy and Communication Skills. Dissertation Abstracts International, A: The Humanities and Social Sciences, 61(11), 4362-A.
Isabelli-García, C., (2006). Study abroad social networks, motivation and attitudes: Implications for second language acquisition. In Churchill, E., & DuFon, M.A. (Eds.), Language learners in study abroad contexts (pp. 231-258). Buffalo, NY, Multilingual Matters.
Kinginger, C. (2009). Language learning and study abroad: A critical reading of research. London: Pallgrave Macmillan.
Knight, S. M., & Schmidt-Rinehart, B. C. (2002). Enhancing the homestay: Study abroad from the host family’s perspective. Foreign Language Annals, 35, 190-201.
Knoke, D., & Yang, S. (2008). Social Network Analysis (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Krywulak, W. E. (1995). The social adjustment of international students attending McMaster University. McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.
Lapkin, S., Hart, D., & Swain, M. (1995). A Canadian interprovincial exchange: Evaluating the linguistic impact of a three-month stay in Quebec. In B. F. Freed (Ed.), Second language acquisition in a study abroad context (pp. 67-94). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamins Co.
Levin, D. M. (2001). Language learners’ sociocultural interaction in a study abroad context. Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.
Lybeck, K. (2002). Cultural identification and second language pronunciation of Americans in Norway. The Modern Language Journal, 86(2), 174-191.
Magnan, S. S. (1986). Assessing speaking proficiency in the undergraduate curriculum: Data from French. Foreign Language Annals, 19(5), 429-438.
Matthew, S. (1995). Behavior during study abroad: Can the differences between men and women in listening comprehension gain during study abroad be explained by behavior? Unpublished PhD Dissertation, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA.
McMeekin, A. (2006). Negotiation in a Japanese study abroad setting. In M. A. Dufon & E. Churchill (Eds.), Language learners in study abroad contexts (pp. 177-202). Buffalo, NY: Multilingual Matters. Meara, P. (1994). The year abroad and its effects. Language Learning Journal, 10(Sept), 32-38.
Miller, L., & Ginsberg, R. B. (1995). Folklinguistic theories of language learning. In B. F. Freed (Ed.), Second language acquisition in a study abroad context (pp. 293-315). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamins Co.
Milleret, M. (1990). Evaluation and the Summer Language Program Abroad: A Review Essay. The Modern Language Journal, 74(4), 483-488.
Milleret, M., Stansfield, C. W., & Kenyon, D. M. (1991). The Validity of the Portuguese Speaking Test for Use in a Summer Study Abroad Program. Hispania, 74(3), 778-787.
Milroy, L. (1987). Language and social networks. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
O’Connor, N. (1988). Oral proficiency testing of junior year abroad: Implications for the undergraduate curriculum. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Modern Language Association.
Opper, S., Teichler, U., & Carlson, J. (Eds.). (1990). Impact of study abroad programmes on students and graduates. London: Jessica Kingsley.
Papatsiba, L. (2006). Study abroad and experiences of cultural distance and proximity: French Erasmus students. In M. Byram & A. Feng (Eds.), Living and studying abroad: Research and practice. Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters.
Pellegrino, V. (1997). Social and psychological factors affecting spontaneous second language use during study abroad. Unpublished PhD Dissertation, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA.
Pellegrino, V. (1998). Student perspectives on language learning in a study abroad context. Frontiers, 4 (Fall), 91-120.
Pérez-Vidal, C., & Juan-Garau, M. (2009). The effect of Study Abroad (SA) on written performance. EUROSLA Yearbook, 9(1), 269-295.
Perkins, P. R. (2004). International students’ social contact on an American university campus: A focus on American-International student friendships. The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL.
Polanyi, L. (1995). Language learning and living abroad: Stories from the field. In B. F. Freed (Ed.), Second language acquisition in a study abroad context (pp. 271-291). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamins Co.
Rivers, W. P. (1998). Is being there enough? The effects of homestay placements on language gain during study abroad. Foreign Language Annals, 31(4), 492-500.
Rohs, F. R., & Langone, C. A. (1997). Increased accuracy in measuring leadership impacts. Joural of Leadership Studies, 4(1), 150-158.
Scott, J. (2000). Social network analysis: A handbook. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Segalowitz, N., & Ryder, A. (2006). Montreal Index of Linguistic Integration (MILI). Unpublished questionnaire, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Concordia University.
Siegal, M. (1995). Individual differences and study abroad: Women learning Japanese in Japan. In B. F. Freed (Ed.), Second language acquisition in a study abroad context (pp. 225-244). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamins Co.
Teichler, U., & Maiworm, F. (1997). The ERASMUS experience: Major findings of the ERASMUS evaluation research. Luxemburg: Office for Official Publications of the European Countries.
Whitworth, K. F. (2006). Access to learning during study abroad: The roles of identity and subject positioning. The Pennsylvania State University.
Wilkinson, S. (1996). Foreign language conversation and the study abroad transition: A case study. Dissertation Abstracts International, A: The Humanities and Social Sciences, 57(1), 140-A.
Wilkinson, S. (1998a). On the nature of immersion during study abroad: Some participant perspectives. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, IV(Fall), 121-138.
Wilkinson, S. (1998b). Study abroad from the participants’ perspective: A challenge to common beliefs. Foreign Language Annals, 31(1), 23-39.
Wilkinson, S. (2002). The Omnipresent Classroom during Summer Study Abroad: American Students in Conversation with Their French Hosts. Modern Language Journal, 86(2), 157-173.
Yager, K. (1998). Learning Spanish in Mexico: The Effect of Informal Contact and Student Attitudes on Language Gain. Hispania, 81(4), 898-913.
Brecht, R. D., Davidson, D. E., & Ginsberg, R. B. (1995). Predictors of foreign language gain during study abroad. In B. F. Freed (Ed.), Second language acquisition in a study abroad context. (pp. 37-66). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamins Publishing Co.
Breiner-Sanders, K., Lowe, P., Miles, J., & Swender, E. (2000). ACTFL proficiency guidelines: Speaking—revised 1999. Foreign Language Annals, 33, 13-18.
Campbell, C. (1996). Socializing with the teachers and prior language learning experience: A diary study. In K. M. Bailey & D. Nunan (Eds.), Voices from the classroom (pp. 201-223). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Clark, J. D. (1981). Language. In T. D. Barrows (Ed.), College students’ knowledge and beliefs: A survey of global understanding. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.
Coleman, J. S. (1998). Language learning and study abroad: The European perspective. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Jounral of Study Abroad, 4. Retrieved from http://www.frontiersjournal.com/issues/vol4/vol4-07_Coleman.htm
Dewey, D. P., Ring, S., Gardner, D., & Belnap, R. K. (forthcoming). Social network formation and development during study abroad in the Middle East. System: An International Journal of Educational Technology and Applied Linguistics. D‘Urso, T. (1997). Direct and mediating effects of individualism-collectivism orientation and social support on
international students‘ adjustment. Unpublished PhD Dissertation, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY.
DeKeyser, R. M. (2007). Practice in a second language: Perspectives from applied linguistics and cognitive psychology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Dewey, D. P. (2008). Japanese vocabulary acquisition by learners in three contexts. Fontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 15(Winter), 127-148.
Dufon, M. A., & Churchill, E. (2006). Evolving threads in study abroad research. In M. A. Dufon & E. Churchill (Eds.), Language learners in study abroad contexts (pp. 1-30). Buffalo, NY: Multilingual Matters.
Dyson, P. (1988). The year abroad: Report for the Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges. Oxford: Oxford University Language Teaching Centre.
Fraser, C. C. (2002). Study abroad: An attempt to measure the gains. German as a Foreign Language Journal, 1, 45-65.
Freed, B. F. (1990). Language Learning in a Study Abroad Context: The Effects of Interactive and Noninteractive Out-of-Class Contact on Grammatical Achievement and Oral Proficiency. Georgetown University Round Table on Languages and Linguistics, 459-477.
Freed, B. F. (1995a). Second language acquisition in a study abroad context. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamins Co.
Freed, B. F. (1995b). What makes us think that students who study abroad become fluent? In B. F. Freed (Ed.), Second language acquisition in a study abroad context (pp. 123-148). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamins Publishing Co, 1995.
Freed, B. F. (1998). An overview of issues and research in language learning in a study abroad setting. Frontiers, 4(Fall), 31-60.
Freed, B. F., Dewey, D. P., Segalowitz, N., & Halter, R. (2004). The Language Contact Profile. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 26, 349-356.
Freed, B. F., Segalowitz, N., & Dewey, D. P. (2004). Context of learning and second language fluency in French: Comparing regular classroom, study abroad, and intensive domestic immersion programs. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 26, 275-301.
Ginsberg, R. B., & Miller, L. (2000). What do they do? Activities of students during study abroad. In R. D. Lambert & E. Shohamy (Eds.), Language policy and pedagogy: Essays in honor of A. Ronald Walton. Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Huebner, T. (1995). The effects of overseas language programs: Report on a case study of an intensive Japanese course. In B. F. Freed (Ed.), (pp. 171-193). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamins Publishing Co.
Isabelli, C. L. (2001). Motivation and Extended Interaction in the Study Abroad Context: Factors in the Development of Spanish Language Accuracy and Communication Skills. Dissertation Abstracts International, A: The Humanities and Social Sciences, 61(11), 4362-A.
Isabelli-García, C., (2006). Study abroad social networks, motivation and attitudes: Implications for second language acquisition. In Churchill, E., & DuFon, M.A. (Eds.), Language learners in study abroad contexts (pp. 231-258). Buffalo, NY, Multilingual Matters.
Kinginger, C. (2009). Language learning and study abroad: A critical reading of research. London: Pallgrave Macmillan.
Knight, S. M., & Schmidt-Rinehart, B. C. (2002). Enhancing the homestay: Study abroad from the host family’s perspective. Foreign Language Annals, 35, 190-201.
Knoke, D., & Yang, S. (2008). Social Network Analysis (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Krywulak, W. E. (1995). The social adjustment of international students attending McMaster University. McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.
Lapkin, S., Hart, D., & Swain, M. (1995). A Canadian interprovincial exchange: Evaluating the linguistic impact of a three-month stay in Quebec. In B. F. Freed (Ed.), Second language acquisition in a study abroad context (pp. 67-94). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamins Co.
Levin, D. M. (2001). Language learners’ sociocultural interaction in a study abroad context. Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.
Lybeck, K. (2002). Cultural identification and second language pronunciation of Americans in Norway. The Modern Language Journal, 86(2), 174-191.
Magnan, S. S. (1986). Assessing speaking proficiency in the undergraduate curriculum: Data from French. Foreign Language Annals, 19(5), 429-438.
Matthew, S. (1995). Behavior during study abroad: Can the differences between men and women in listening comprehension gain during study abroad be explained by behavior? Unpublished PhD Dissertation, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA.
McMeekin, A. (2006). Negotiation in a Japanese study abroad setting. In M. A. Dufon & E. Churchill (Eds.), Language learners in study abroad contexts (pp. 177-202). Buffalo, NY: Multilingual Matters. Meara, P. (1994). The year abroad and its effects. Language Learning Journal, 10(Sept), 32-38.
Miller, L., & Ginsberg, R. B. (1995). Folklinguistic theories of language learning. In B. F. Freed (Ed.), Second language acquisition in a study abroad context (pp. 293-315). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamins Co.
Milleret, M. (1990). Evaluation and the Summer Language Program Abroad: A Review Essay. The Modern Language Journal, 74(4), 483-488.
Milleret, M., Stansfield, C. W., & Kenyon, D. M. (1991). The Validity of the Portuguese Speaking Test for Use in a Summer Study Abroad Program. Hispania, 74(3), 778-787.
Milroy, L. (1987). Language and social networks. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
O’Connor, N. (1988). Oral proficiency testing of junior year abroad: Implications for the undergraduate curriculum. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Modern Language Association.
Opper, S., Teichler, U., & Carlson, J. (Eds.). (1990). Impact of study abroad programmes on students and graduates. London: Jessica Kingsley.
Papatsiba, L. (2006). Study abroad and experiences of cultural distance and proximity: French Erasmus students. In M. Byram & A. Feng (Eds.), Living and studying abroad: Research and practice. Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters.
Pellegrino, V. (1997). Social and psychological factors affecting spontaneous second language use during study abroad. Unpublished PhD Dissertation, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA.
Pellegrino, V. (1998). Student perspectives on language learning in a study abroad context. Frontiers, 4 (Fall), 91-120.
Pérez-Vidal, C., & Juan-Garau, M. (2009). The effect of Study Abroad (SA) on written performance. EUROSLA Yearbook, 9(1), 269-295.
Perkins, P. R. (2004). International students’ social contact on an American university campus: A focus on American-International student friendships. The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL.
Polanyi, L. (1995). Language learning and living abroad: Stories from the field. In B. F. Freed (Ed.), Second language acquisition in a study abroad context (pp. 271-291). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamins Co.
Rivers, W. P. (1998). Is being there enough? The effects of homestay placements on language gain during study abroad. Foreign Language Annals, 31(4), 492-500.
Rohs, F. R., & Langone, C. A. (1997). Increased accuracy in measuring leadership impacts. Joural of Leadership Studies, 4(1), 150-158.
Scott, J. (2000). Social network analysis: A handbook. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Segalowitz, N., & Ryder, A. (2006). Montreal Index of Linguistic Integration (MILI). Unpublished questionnaire, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Concordia University.
Siegal, M. (1995). Individual differences and study abroad: Women learning Japanese in Japan. In B. F. Freed (Ed.), Second language acquisition in a study abroad context (pp. 225-244). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamins Co.
Teichler, U., & Maiworm, F. (1997). The ERASMUS experience: Major findings of the ERASMUS evaluation research. Luxemburg: Office for Official Publications of the European Countries.
Whitworth, K. F. (2006). Access to learning during study abroad: The roles of identity and subject positioning. The Pennsylvania State University.
Wilkinson, S. (1996). Foreign language conversation and the study abroad transition: A case study. Dissertation Abstracts International, A: The Humanities and Social Sciences, 57(1), 140-A.
Wilkinson, S. (1998a). On the nature of immersion during study abroad: Some participant perspectives. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, IV(Fall), 121-138.
Wilkinson, S. (1998b). Study abroad from the participants’ perspective: A challenge to common beliefs. Foreign Language Annals, 31(1), 23-39.
Wilkinson, S. (2002). The Omnipresent Classroom during Summer Study Abroad: American Students in Conversation with Their French Hosts. Modern Language Journal, 86(2), 157-173.
Yager, K. (1998). Learning Spanish in Mexico: The Effect of Informal Contact and Student Attitudes on Language Gain. Hispania, 81(4), 898-913.
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Published
2013-01-15
How to Cite
Dewey, D. P., Belnap, R. K., & Hillstrom, R. (2013). Social Network Development, Language Use, and Language Acquisition during Study Abroad: Arabic Language Learners’ Perspectives. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 22(1), 84–110. https://doi.org/10.36366/frontiers.v22i1.320
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