Near-Term Effects of Short-Term Study Abroad: A Longitudinal Examination of Learner Perceptions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36366/frontiers.v35i1.684Keywords:
short-term study abroad, near-term effects, language and cultural learning, qualitative content analysisAbstract
A relatively small body of research has been conducted on the near- and long-term effects of study abroad (SA) to date. This existing research suggests that SA effects on language skills tend to be volatile, while the impact on various aspects of learners’ personal, academic, and professional development may be longer-lasting. Yet, learner perspectives on the dynamics and durability of such effects, in particular in the context of short-term SA programs, remain largely unexplored. This study hence investigates the near-term impact of short-term SA programs as experienced by students within the first months and years following their sojourns. A qualitative case-study design is employed to examine the accounts of four American students of German, who studied abroad in Austria for four weeks and were interviewed repeatedly over a period of up to 40 months after their sojourns. The results suggest that, from the students’ perspective, many effects deteriorate in the near term, although the overall sojourn experience still appears influential.
Abstract in GermanNur wenige Forschungsvorhaben haben sich bislang den mittel- bis langfristigen Auswirkungen studentischer Auslandsaufenthalte gewidmet; die bisherige Datenlage deutet jedoch darauf hin, dass die Auswirkungen auf sprachliche Kompetenzen eher unbeständig sind, wohingegen die persönliche, studiums- und berufsbezogene Entwicklung der Lernenden länger von einem Auslandsaufenthalt beeinflusst wird. Die Dynamik und Beständigkeit derartiger Auswirkungen wurden jedoch kaum mit Blick auf kurze Auslandsaufenthalte (≤ acht Wochen) sowie aus der Perspektive der Studierenden erforscht, was die vorliegende Studie insbesondere hinsichtlich mittelfristiger Effekte fokussiert. Mittels eines qualitativen Fallstudiendesigns werden die Interviewdaten vier amerikanischer Deutschlernender untersucht, die sich vier Wochen in Österreich aufhielten und in einem Zeitraum von bis zu 40 Monaten nach ihrem Aufenthalt wiederholt befragt wurden. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass viele Auswirkungen eines solchen Aufenthalts aus studentischer Perspektive mittelfristig verblassen, auch wenn der Auslandsaufenthalt im Gesamten weiterhin als einflussreiche Erfahrung wahrgenommen wird.
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