Effects of Short-Term Study Abroad Programs

Study abroad programs have become popular among institutions of higher education in Japan, and such popularity seems attributable to the widespread assumption that the programs facilitate the development of students' language proficiency.A number of empirical studies have investigated the effects of a study abroad experience on participants' language proficiency (e.g., Isabelli-Garcia, 2003;Segalowitz & Freed, 2004).However, most of them deal with a semester to a year-long study abroad programs, and it is rare to find ones that have examined the effectiveness of short-term study abroad programs on students' development of language proficiency and other learner variables.This study examined the effectiveness of short-term study abroad programs on learner development and changes in English proficiency and language learning strategies.The data for the study came from 64 university students who participated in four different short-term study abroad programs.In assessing their effectiveness, we employed a pre-and post-test design using a speaking test and a modified learning strategy inventory (Oxford, 1990).We also examined the changes of their speaking proficiency a year after their return to the home institution.The findings indicate that short-term study abroad programs can have a positive impact on participants' oral proficiency as well as their use of learning strategies if those programs are appropriately designed.However, it was also found that the oral proficiency gains that participants made in such short-term study abroad programs were largely lost over time.