Variables Affecting L2 Gains During Study Abroad

Abstract: Second language (L2) gains during study abroad have been related to several variables including length of stay (Llanes, 2011), language use (Martinsen, Baker, Dewey, Bown, & Johnson, 2010), and social network development (Isabelli- Garcia, 2006), among others. However, most studies have investigated only a few predictors in single study abroad programs. While these findings are helpful, larger scale studies are needed to better understand the variables that contribute to L2 gains across several different cultures and learner groups. The current study examines pre- dictors of L2 gain of more than 100 native English speakers who participated in study abroad in Mexico, Spain, France, Egypt, Russia, and China. Participants were asked to complete an ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview at the beginning and end of their study abroad program. Participants were then divided into "gainers" and "non-gainers," or those who did or did not make significant language gains from pre- to posttest. Their language gains from pre to posttest were compared to several predictors: personality (measured by the NEO Five-Factor Inventory), social networks (size, dispersion, density, etc.), intercultural sensitivity (measured by the Intercultural Development Inventory), amount of second language use, gender, and age. Results suggest that many students were able to make gains in language, in each of the programs, and that the strongest predictors of L2 gains were cultural sensitivity and social network variables.Key words: IDI, OPI, proficiency, social net- works, study abroadThe number of U.S. students participating in study abroad has increased steadily in recent years, nearly doubling since 2000 and exceeding 300,000 in 2012 (Institute of International Education, 2013, n.p.). Both prior to and throughout this same time period, the need for strong proficiency in a second language (L2) has become even more prevalent in business, health care, and foreign relations and across a range of other professions (O'Connell & Norwood, 2007). Thus, understanding how learners acquire an L2, particularly during study abroad, is perhaps more important than ever.Two primary goals of many study abroad programs are typically to help stu- dents develop and improve their proficiency in an L2 and to enhance their cultural un- derstanding.1 A large number of studies have investigated the variables that facilitate or impede L2 learning in the context of study abroad, focusing on such questions as "What is the ideal amount of time to spend on study abroad?" (Llanes & Serrano, 2011); "When is the ideal time in L2 development to participate in an immer- sion program?" (Davidson, 2010); "How much L2 use is needed in order to improve in L2 learning?" (Hernandez, 2010); and "Do variables such as the students' person- alities, number of friends acquired in the tar- get culture, or cultural sensitivity affect their L2 use on a study abroad program?" (Dewey, Belnap, & Hillstrom, 2013); however, many questions still remain (see Llanes, 2011, for a discussion of these issues).Most of these studies examined only one variable or one aspect of L2 acquisition during study abroad; moreover, these stud- ies often lacked sufficiently robust numbers of participants for many conclusions to be drawn. Consequently, it is difficult to deter- mine which of the previously examined variables has the most important influence on L2 acquisition during study abroad or how all those variables interact. As King- inger (2009) has noted, "In the case of pro- ficiency ... whereas work with small groups of participants typically does not generate robust effects, large-scale studies ... have linked proficiency with study abroad throughout the history of the research" (p, 209),2 but much can still be learned about which variables influence proficiency development during study abroad. The pur- pose of this study, therefore, was to examine a larger number of participants from multi- ple programs abroad and to consider simul- taneously several variables that might influence students' linguistic development while abroad. …