The value of short-term study abroad: an increase in students' cultural and pragmatic competency

Abstract: The effect of studying abroad on students' language production has been extensively researched. However, a question that has not been addressed is whether study abroad programs lasting six weeks or less offer sufficient time and contact for students to demonstrate measurable development in their command of the language. The current investigation reveals the effects of a short-term study abroad program in Spain on students' recognition, comprehension, and production of region-specific linguistic forms. In this study, pre- and post-program survey data as well as observational data were gathered from a group of students during a four-week study abroad program in an effort to access their exposure to, and use of, the vosotros form.Key words: address pronouns, cultural competency, Spanish language variation, study abroad, target languageIntroductionIn 2009-2010, the number of university students in the United States who reported having studied abroad was 270,604-an overall increase of 3.9% in comparison with the previous year (Institute of International Education [HE], 2011, n.p.). While a decrease of 0.4% was reported for semester or yearlong programs, participation in short-term study abroad programs-those lasting eight weeks or less-increased by 2% (HE, 2011, n.p.). Although the majority of the study abroad research in foreign languages has been dedicated to longer-term programs (Bataller, 2010; Knight & Schmidt-Rinehart, 2010; Stewart, 2010), Martinsen pointed out that "the need for further research on the effectiveness of study abroad programs seems even more pressing in the case of short-term study abroad programs" (2010, p. 504). The present study responds to this call for further research and examines the acquisition and production of the Spanish second-person plural vosotros pronoun and corresponding verbal forms following a four-week study abroad program in Madrid, Spain.Literature ReviewStudy AbroadPrevious research has examined a variety of linguistic issues in the context of the study abroad experience, including oral proficiency (Martinsen, 2010; Segalowitz & Freed, 2004), listening (Kinginger, 2008), reading (Dewey, 2004), writing (Freed, So, & Lazar, 2003), student motiva- tion (Allen, 2010), pragmatic development (Bataller, 2010), and dialect and intonation acquisition (Henriksen, Geeslin, & Willis, 2010; Ringer-Hilfinger, 2012). Not surpris- ingly, studies have shown that long-term study abroad programs have a strong, positive impact on students' language development (see Brecht, Davidson, & Ginsberg, 1995; Freed, 1995; Sieloff- Magnan & Back, 2007; Yager, 1998).However, previous research has also documented noticeable gains in students' target language production and comprehen- sion after even short-term study abroad programs (Allen, Dristas, & Mills, 2007). Cubillos, Chieffo, and Fan (2008) reported an increase in students' comprehension of the target language due to the development of better listening strategies after a short- term program. In a study of 3,400 partic- ipants in a short-term study abroad pro- gram, Dwyer (2004) found that the same percentage in the amount of students from short-term programs vs. semester-long pro- grams reported having benefited in areas such as increased target language use, academic and personal growth, and guid- ance in selecting a career. Similarly, Schmidt-Rinehart and Knight (2004) showed that students who had participated in a summer program in Mexico or Spain had greater cultural awareness and an increase in TL use. Martinsen conducted a study to determine oral proficiency gains by a group of 45 students who went to Argentina for a short-stay summer study abroad program. He reported "small but significant gains in their oral language skills and in their cross-cultural sensitivity" (2010, p. 520). While the gains in oral proficiency may have been "small," Martin- sen commented:[t]hese results indicate that, at the very least, students in short-term programs perceive important benefits from their study abroad experience, especially in terms of the effects of that experience on their attitudes and interests. …