Student
Perspectives
on a ShortTerm Study
AbroadExperience
Scott Roy Douglas

University of British
Columbia, Okanagan
CampusReference Data:
Douglas, S. R. (2015). Student perspectives on a short-term study abroad experience. In P. Clements, A. Krause, &H. Brown (Eds.), JALT2014 Conference Proceedings. Tokyo: JALT.
Research that uncovers Japanese undergraduate student perspectives in connection to the short-term
study abroad experience can provide valuable insights for educational program developers. The current study focused on what Japanese university students visiting Canada on a short-term study abroad
program felt were the ideal elements of this kind of educational experience. Data were collected fromparticipants at four points before and during the experience. Qualitative data analysis methods wereused to identify the most prominent themes. Findings pointed to meaningful intercultural encounters,rich content-focused classroom experiences, and varied extra-curricular activities as being the key
elements of an effective program. However, program developers should be mindful that intercultural
encounters may not occur naturally, and extra-curricular activities might not happen spontaneously.
Creating an ideal short-term study abroad program involves finding ways to encourage organic intercultural encounters and providing unique and engaging activities outside of the classroom.
本研究は、日本人短期留学生の視点から留学を捉えることが、有意義な留学プログラムを作成する重要な手がかりとなりうることを明らかにしたものである。調査は、カナダに留学した日本人大学生のグループを対称とし、短期留学において最も重要な要素は何かという点について留学前、留学中に計４回おこなった。そのデータを定性的に分析した結果、学生にとって理想的な短期留学とは、有意義な異文化体験、内容重視の授業、そして様々な授業外活動を含む留学であることが明らかになったのだが、有意義な異文化体験や授業外活動は、海外に来たというだけで自然に発生するものではなく、生徒の自主性だけに任せたプログラムでは、うまくいかないことが多い。それゆえ、理想的な短期留学プログラムの作成にあたっては、生徒が自然に異文化体験ができる方法や留学先ならではの授業外活動をどのように提供できるかという点を考慮して、プログラムを作成する必要がある。

L

earners of English as an additional language, including those from Japan, may not always
have the opportunity to take long periods of time out of an undergraduate program of study
in order to pursue language acquisition in an overseas immersion context. In addition, there
are costs and program interruptions associated with studying abroad for longer periods of time thatcan be a burden for some students. As a result, short-term study abroad programs are becoming
increasingly attractive (Jackson, 2008). However, these programs still represent a considerable financial investment. Research investigating the value of the experience gleaned from such programs
can contribute to understanding the elements of an effective short-term study abroad program. In
this paper, the terms ideal, successful, positive, meaningful, and effective are used interchangeably
with the short-term study abroad experience to refer to both the educational benefits and students’

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overall satisfaction and enjoyment of the experience from the pointof view of the participants in this study.
This paper reports on the findings of a quality assurance study
into Japanese student perceptions of a short-term study abroad
experience in British Columbia, Canada. The aim of this qualitative
study was to create a space for participant voices to be heard andaccounted for. By understanding what students feel are the ideal
elements of a short-term study abroad program, researchers cangather information for education programmers who are developing
learning experiences for visiting international students from Japan.

The Short-Term Study Abroad Experience
For the purposes of this study, short-term study aboard programs
are defined as postsecondary educational programs involving English language teaching and consisting of less than 4 weeks of study.
Short-term programs can take many forms, with a wide variety ofcomplex variables that affect students who are often more diverse
than most educators realize (Jackson, 2008). These variables can
include program length, student relationships, living arrangements,
and instructional practices (Churchill & DuFon, 2006). Although
short-term study abroad programs are complex and difficult toorganize, they are a worthwhile endeavour as the experience canbe life changing for international students who take advantage ofthe cultural and language learning opportunities surrounding them(Jackson, 2008). However, the extent of the benefits that short-term
study abroad programs offer can be impacted by the extent to which
students are received into the study abroad context (Kinginger,2009). Without meaningful interactions with a host communitythat is open to welcoming outsiders into their midst, the benefits ofstudy abroad may be lessened. It is these interactions with the local
populace that study abroad students typically expect, and these
expectations often motivate, and are motivated by, their desire
to advance their language skills (Benson, Barkhuizen, Bodycott,

JALT2014 CONFERENCE
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want to have a direct experience of another culture, they may, unfortunately, not have many chances to interact with the host culture(Horness, 2014). As a result of the complexity of short-term study
abroad programs, there appears to be no simple formula for developing a successful study abroad experience, but encouragement ofintercultural interactions is part of a complex recipe for creating a
positive learning experience (Benson et al., 2013).
The goal of the current research project is to present understandings of what constitutes an effective short-term study abroad
program from the perspective of the students. The study was
influenced by a sociocultural understanding of the short-term study
abroad experience in which language learning takes place by students using the target language to interact with other people whoare also using the target language. In particular, language learning isfacilitated if learners communicate with more competent interlocutors who are willing to negotiate meaning (Long, 1996). This createsa space for language learning that bridges what learners can do on
their own and what they can do in collaboration with more capabletarget language users (Vygotsky, 1930s/1978). Meaningful practicewith other target language users leads to an eventual internalization of the target language so that target language use can become
automatic (Lightbown & Spada, 2013). However, in order for that tohappen, opportunities for frequent and purposeful language use arenecessary.

Research Questions
The overarching research question for this study dealt with whatparticipants perceived to be the ideal elements of a short-term study
abroad program. In the context of their travel and study experiences, answering this question involved exploring what participants
hoped to learn, what they enjoyed most, what they recommended,
and what they felt they had actually learned.

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DOUGLAS • STUDENT PERSPECTIVES ON A SHORT-TERM STUDY ABROAD EXPERIENCEThe Study
Participants

communication classes, and the afternoons consisted of 2 hours ofbusiness leadership classes. Themes covered during the business
communication and the business leadership classes included topics
The program was designed specifically for Japanese business majors such as business ethics, entering the global market, and interculturalfrom a private university in the Kanto region of Japan. There were a communication. Working in teams, the students completed theirstudies with a final project that consisted of developing and presenttotal of 30 students; 70% were female and 30% were male. Participants were just under 19 years old on average (M = 18.8, SD = 0.48). ing a marketing plan for the local wine industry, which was evaluated
The average TOEIC score of the students was about 875 (M = 874.5, by a panel of judges from the local business and academic community. Students also had to submit a written marketing plan to further
SD = 42.80). This level of performance on the TOEIC test indicatedthat participants had a good working proficiency in English and that develop a market for a product from a local winery. As part of theirresearch, each student visited two local wineries.
they were “able to satisfy most requirements with language that isoften, but not always, acceptable and effective” (Educational Testing
The program was supplemented with UBCO class visits, specialService [ETS] Canada, n.d.).
ized workshops, and guest lectures. Organized extra-curricular
activities—such as campus and city tours, participation in local
student club activities, lunches at local restaurants, and winter
The Program and Location
sports activities—were also arranged. In addition to the organized
The study took place on the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) extra-curricular activities, students had free time in the evenings
Okanagan campus (also known as UBCO) in Kelowna, British
and on weekends for homework and self-organized activities. All
Columbia, Canada. The campus, with approximately 8,000 understudents were enrolled in the campus meal plan and ate most of
graduate and graduate students in a variety of disciplines, is located their meals on campus.
400 kilometres from Vancouver in the Okanagan Valley, an agricultural region famous for vineyards and fruit growing. The campus is
Procedures
located about 14 kilometres from downtown Kelowna and is connected to the city centre by regular public transit. Students lived in
Data Collection
hotel-type off-campus accommodations close to the university.
There were four opportunities for data collection, and all data
Rather than having English language learning as the sole focus
gathering was conducted in English. While still in Japan, particiof the program, the curriculum for the program was informed bypants each wrote a previsit 100- to 200-word essay about what they
content-based instructional practices (Larsen-Freeman & Anderson,
hoped to learn from their travel and study experience. During the2011; Snow, 1997) to promote both language learning and content
first week of the program in Canada, concurrent focus groups oflearning at the same time, with the disciplinary content of Businessthree or four participants were used to identify shared understandserving as a vehicle for gaining English language skills. The shortings (Creswell, 2012) of the ideal elements of a short-term study
term study abroad experience consisted of a 3-week program in theabroad program, as perceived by the participants. These data weremonth of February in which students studied 5 to 6 hours per day
recorded by the participants on a worksheet with blank boxes infrom Monday to Friday and had the option of participating in organ- which students could write what they perceived to be at least eightized weekend activities. Mornings consisted of 3 hours of business

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elements of an ideal short-term study abroad program. Immediately
after the focus group meetings, participants hand-wrote a half-pageparagraph on the one element that they felt was most necessary in
an ideal short-term study abroad program. Then, halfway throughthe program, open-ended surveys were conducted as a mid-program
check to ask the students questions on two topics: what they enjoyed most about the program so far and what changes they would
suggest and why. Finally, at the end of the program, students answered open-ended questions about what they felt they had learned,
what they felt were the strengths of the program, and what theywould recommend changing. (See Appendix A for the Mid-Program
Check-in and Final Program Evaluation open-ended questions.)

Data Analysis
A qualitative data analysis method was employed to uncover thematic patterns in participant perceptions of the short-term study
abroad experience. Data collected for this study were entered into
digitized files with participants’ language preserved and transcribed
directly in order to avoid appropriating student voices. Therefore,
representative quotes in this paper contain nonstandard English.
Next, the data were coded for meaning, with each code connected
to a representative quote, and then sorted into categories that led toan emerging picture of the participants’ perceptions following data
analysis procedures as recommended by Gay, Mills, and Airasian(2012). The categories were collectively analyzed for thematic affinities, and themes were organized according to the number of representative quotes in each theme. The top three themes that collected
the greatest numbers of quotes were presented in the results, witheach of the top three themes emerging with 12 or more associatedquotes and the most representative quotes being reported below. As
the data analysis took place, the researcher attempted to approachthe data inductively without preconceived thematic notions (seeGay et al., 2012). As a result, the categories were grounded in participants’ own perceptions of short-term study abroad programs.

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Results
Three major themes arose in the data in connection to what participants felt were the most important elements of a short-term study
abroad experience: frequent and meaningful intercultural encounters, rich classroom experiences, and inclusive extra-curricular
activities.

Intercultural Encounters
The theme that emerged most clearly in the data was in connection
to learning about Canada’s culture through encounters with British
Columbians and having the opportunity to interact with local Canadians. In the previsit essays, students expressed a strong wish for
cultural experiences. One participant stated, “I want to visit many
places to learn Canada’s culture. . . . I want to find many Canada’s
good culture through traveling Canada.” The students also desired
to have encounters with local Canadians. Many students in the previsit essays expressed how they were “looking forward to interactingwith the students at UBC.” In the focus group meetings, comments
about “having conversation with local students” reasserted this desire for intercultural interactions. The paragraphs written after thefocus group meetings in the first week also reinforced this theme. In
one paragraph, a participant characterised an ideal short-term study
abroad program as being one with “opportunit[ies] to make friends
who are native language speaker.” Other participants also felt thiswas necessary, as another participant wrote that “[By having] conversations with local students . . . we can learn from them the natural ways of speaking English . . . . we should use as many English as
we can by speaking and chatting with students from Canada.”
In these paragraphs, participants also identified a way to improve
opportunities for interaction, which was by living in places such as
student residences or local homestay accommodation. For example,
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could make use of them when you speak with roommates next
time.” Another student wrote, “I think homestay is most important. . . because we will be able to use language all the time.”

Classroom Experiences

In the previsit essays, learning connected to the field of businessreceived a high priority. Students wanted their classes to have a
Although there was a strong desire for meaningful encountersbusiness focus. One student reported, “I hope to learn internationalwith local students and residents in the host community, the midbusiness that cannot experience if I were in Japan.” It appears that
program check indicated that participants felt that they weren’t hav- students were looking for a unique educational opportunity thating the intercultural experiences they had hoped for. One student
would “enable [them] to think about business strategies from differwrote, “Since we are in Canada we want to . . . meet more people
ent view.”that are actually from UBC.” Although they were on a Canadian
Analysis of the data in the paragraphs written in the first week
campus surrounded by users of the target language, it seemed likealso revealed that, in addition to learning about business, particithe participants were not meeting local students. This point was
pants also felt it was important that classes be interesting and enjoyechoed by another student who wrote, “I guess we should at least
able because “if [students] think classes are boring and sleep during
have some opportunity to be with the students from UBC.”
classes and stay at the dorm or house during their free time, they
However, the intercultural experiences that participants did have will not learn much.” Suggestions to promote interesting classes
were considered an important part of the program. In the final
could be found in the midterm program check; for example, the stuevaluations, a student reflected, “I have experienced to take somedents appreciated having guest speakers. One participant wrote that
lectures at UBCO and learned and felt how the UBC students learn the students enjoyed “listening to a UBC real professor’s lecture andand think. So attending some classes are valuable.” In addition tohaving a discussion.” Another student also wrote about one guest
interacting with local students, visits with other people from the
speaker she enjoyed, noting that “this lecture was very interesting
Okanagan region were also prized, especially when connected toand a good chance to think.”
students’ field of study: “It was really great opportunities to take
Despite having enjoyable experiences such as the guest speakers,
some UBC’s classes, and meeting the local business people.”when asked during the mid-program check what students would
In the end, a recurring theme in the final evaluations was thechange, participants indicated that there was room for improveperceived lack of meaningful intercultural encounters. One student ment. In particular, participants were looking for the disciplinary
expressed this feeling along with a possible solution by referring
content they had indicated they wanted in the previsit essays, withto the final marking project: “We wanted more opportunity to
one student expressing the desire for more discussions in classcommunicate with UBCO students. Or maybe we could have done
along with “classes about more academic things (business).” This
the project together.” In other words, this participant wished local
desire for business-related content carried over into the final evalustudents could have been included in the learning experiences ofations. One student wrote, “The classes should be more specific.
the Japanese visiting students. This feeling was also represented bySince we only have three weeks we have a limited time. We should
another student who wrote, “We should have more contacts to thelearn the things we can’t learn in Japan.” As mentioned in the prepeople in Kelowna. I hear too much Japanese during this stay.”
visit essays, participants were looking for unique experiences, andthey did not want to cover materials they could cover in Japan. One
student professed, “I thought it would have been better, if we had

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the opportunity to experience things we can only do here at UBC,
like the classes with [local professors].”
Although there were some reservations expressed in the data,
there was a sense that students did feel that they had gained somenew content knowledge. In the final evaluations, students wrote
extensively about what they had learned about marketing and business in general. One student indicated, “I learned the way of marketing and Okanagan wine industry well. Practical business work
both theory and group work. We can make most of this opportunity
for real business place.” This feeling was supported by anotherstudent who maintained, “I learned business words in English, and I
also further learned more business related materials.”

Extra-Curricular Activities
Extra-curricular activities were also touted in the first week paragraphs as an ideal component of a short-term study abroad experience. One student claimed that “partying and sports is the time you
can get to talk to people. Being interactional is a good thing when
you try to learn second language,” and another student maintainedthat “when we have free time we should enjoy and have fun . . . thisis because only studying might make you bord [sic] after a few while,
but if you enjoy playing too, you can be fresh.”

The desire for more extra-curricular activities was also found in
the data from the final evaluations. One student indicated, “Weshould have had more extra activities as a group. I mean we wanted
to go on skatings, sightseeing and skiing as a whole group so we
could be more close to each other.” Students’ reflections in the final
evaluations suggested that the extra-curricular activities that they
had experienced were one of the program’s strengths. In particular,
one student seemed to enjoy the business related field trips: “. . .
connection with wineries. It’s pleasure to visit the place that we’regoing to promote and doing fieldwork.” The uniqueness of theout-of-class activities was also emphasized in the data, with anotherstudent maintaining, “We could visit the winery and experience itby ourselves, which was good since we don’t have any opportunity
to visit winery in Japan.”

Discussion

Although it might be assumed by educational planners that Japanese students coming to Canada are primarily looking for opportunities to develop their English language proficiency, the picture
emerging from the data shows the reality to be more complex.
Although the desire to practice and improve English language skills
did appear from time to time and may have been an underlying motivation, from the participants’ perspectives, it did not appear to be
In the mid-program check, extra-curricular activities continued
a primary factor in creating an ideal short-term study abroad expeto be a major theme. In addition to participating in activities such as
rience. In general, the hope for meaningful intercultural encounters
Zumba, one student wrote, “I enjoyed ice-skating and eating chickenwith the local English-speaking population was most prominent.
wings because it was the time I actually felt I’m in Canada.” The idea
This theme was followed closely in prominence by themes connectof having more extra-curricular activities was also prominent in theed to content-rich classroom experiences and varied and abundantdata from the mid-program check. A student wrote, “I suggest it
extra-curricular activities.
should contain more activities such as heading for town or go snowThe prominence of participants’ desires to interact with local usboarding, because here is surrounded by nothing so that we are not
ersof the target language speaks to the students’ understanding thatallowed to do anything.” Another student backed up this sentimentinteraction
is a key factor of learning English. This desire to interact
by indicating that “having activity after class will be more fun.”aligns with Long’s (1996) conclusion that interaction focused on

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negotiating meaning with another speaker can promote language
learning by connecting language input, learners’ natural acquisition
abilities, and productive output. Thus, communicating with target
language speakers can help to create Vygotsky’s (1930s/1978) social
space for language development. However, merely being surrounded by local English speakers is not the same as interacting with local
English speakers.
From the participants’ perspectives, the abundant interactions
they hoped for failed to materialize. This finding mirrors Tanaka’s(2007) conclusion that study-abroad might not provide as many
opportunities to use English outside the classroom as students
might anticipate. This lack of interaction may have been, in part,
because some participants might have felt shy speaking with locals
and unable to take the initiative on their own (Tanaka, 2007). It
may also have been because participant attempts to interact withlocal English speakers were discouraging if the participants were
not encouraged by the local people (Benson, Barkhuizen, Bodycott,& Brown, 2012). Participants expressed the wish that the program
planners create opportunities to meet local target language users.
This idea is in line with Norton and Toohey’s (2011) assertion thatteachers can foster social interaction with local users of the target
language by being aware of how learners see and understand themselves and how they are seen and understood by others. In addition,
program planners cannot assume that international students on
short-term programs will naturally find opportunities to mix withthe local population. Planned interactions, such as integration into
local classrooms aligned with students’ disciplinary interests or invitations to take part in local student club events, may be necessary to
fulfil participants’ desires to use English with local English speakers
in meaningful and extensive exchanges.
The findings also support a language-through-content approach toprogram planning. Rich classroom experiences were a vital elementof an ideal short-term study abroad program for participants, andlearning disciplinary content knowledge was an important part of

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those classroom experiences. The implication for program planners
is that contextualized language learning that takes place alongside
the acquisition of disciplinary knowledge is what short-term study
abroad students may be looking for. The data also gave a strong
sense that participants were hoping to gain content knowledge thatmight not be readily accessible in Japan. Thus, program planners
should take into careful consideration what students are studyingin their home institutions in order not to repeat content students
feel they have already mastered. However, although it is importantto take student perceptions of their prior learning into consideration, it may also be the case that students want to tackle materials
that they may not be ready for. A careful balance needs to be struck
so that student interest in the classroom activities is maintained
without employing overly difficult materials that would impede
language- and content-learning goals.
It was further evident that students’ free time also needs to beadequately organized so that there are varied and inclusive extracurricular activities in the evenings and on the weekends. There
was a strong sense that the participants were looking for experiences that they would not have in Japan. Although the participants
wanted to have a distinct feeling that they were in Canada, they also
wanted these activities to be arranged for the whole group so thatall participants could take part in a shared experience.
The implications of the findings of this study are limited by being related to just one program that took place in British Columbia. However, by examining what students in the current study
perceived to be important in a short-term study abroad experience,valuable insights can be gathered for future program development.
For example, housing participants in on-campus student residences
and hiring local student ambassadors to interact with students
outside of class could facilitate opportunities for interactions withthe host community and provide participants with a local student
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complement content and language-integrated learning, support
student autonomy, and shape their learning experiences to fit theirdisciplinary interests. Finally, taking advantage of evenings andweekends to plan organized extra-curricular activities led by local
student ambassadors could help short-term study abroad students
make the most of their free time in a new and unfamiliar place.
These are examples of ideas currently being considered for implementation in future iterations of this program.

References
Benson, P., Barkhuizen, G., Bodycott, P., & Brown, J. (2012). Study abroad
and the development of second language identities. Applied Linguistics
Review, 3, 173-193.
Benson, P., Barkhuizen, G., Bodycott, P., & Brown, J. (2013). Second language
identity in narratives of study abroad. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
Churchill, E., & DuFon, M. (2006). Evolving threads in SA research. In M.
DuFon & E. Churchill (Eds.), Language learners in SA contexts (pp. 1-27).
Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.

Future studies could focus on programs with students from awider range of cultural backgrounds. Investigations into the percep- Creswell, J. (2012). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluatingtions of members of the host culture, such as local students, would
quantitative and qualitative research (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
also be valuable for understanding, from their point of view, why
Educational Testing Service (ETS) Canada. (n.d.). Use your TOEIC score on
natural interactions don’t always take place and what would encouryour resume. Retrieved from http://www.etscanada.ca/students/toeic_
age organic intercultural encounters between short-term internascore_resume.php
tional students and the local population.
Gay, L. R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. (2012). Educational research: CompetenIn sum, it appears that simple exposure to the target languagecies for analysis and applications (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
community is not adequate for a meaningful short-term study
Horness, P. (2014). A social narrative inquiry of three Japanese university
abroad experience. As increasing opportunities for short-term study
participants in a short-term study abroad program. Ryugaku: Explorations
at Canadian institutions become available for Japanese students, ain Study Abroad, 7(1), 24-37.
closer examination of what they want in an overseas experience and Jackson, J. (2008). Language, identity and study abroad: Sociocultural perspecwhat the host culture may offer can begin to create a satisfactory
tives. London, UK: Equinox Publishing.
bridge for intercultural interaction. As Jackson (2008) pointed out,
Kinginger, C. (2009). Language learning and study abroad: A critical reading ofoverall careful planning, diligent implementation, and adequate
the research. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
resources are needed for an effective overseas study experience.
Larsen-Freeman, D., & Anderson, M. (2011). Techniques and principles inlanguage teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Bio Data
Scott Roy Douglas is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus. In
addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate level courses in
additional language teaching and learning, he enjoys thinking about
English for academic purposes and content-based ELT materials
design. <scott.douglas@ubc.ca>

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Lightbown, P. M., & Spada, N. (2013). How languages are learned (5th ed.).
Oxford, UK, Oxford University Press.
Long, M. (1996). The role of the linguistic environment in second language
acquisition. In W. Ritchie & T. Bhatia (Eds.), Handbook of second language
acquisition (pp. 413-468). New York: Academic Press.
Norton, B., & Toohey, K. (2011). Identity, language learning, and socialchange. Language Teaching, 44, 412-446.

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Snow, M. A. (1997). Teaching academic literacy skills: Discipline faculty takeresponsibility. In M. A. Snow & D. M. Brinton (Eds.), The content-basedclassroom: Perspectives on integrating language and content (pp. 290-304).
White Plains, NY: Longman.
Tanaka, K. (2007). Japanese students’ contact with English outside theclassroom during study abroad. New Zealand Studies in Applied Linguistics,
13(1), 26-54.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. (Original
work published 1930s).

Appendix A
Mid-Program Check-in and Final Program
Evaluation Open-Ended Questions
Mid-Program Check-in Survey Open-Ended
Questions•

What do you enjoy most about the program?

•

What changes would you suggest for the program and why?

Final Program Evaluation Open-Ended Questions•

What did you learn? How did this program change you?

•

What are the strengths of this program?

•

How could this program be improved?

•

What activities/program features would you recommend
changing and why?

•

What additional activities or program features should we add if
we run this course again?

•

Is there anything else that we should know? Please provide any
further comments below.

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