Exploring conditions to enhance student/host family interaction abroad

Abstract: This study investigates the role of task-based learning in the study abroad experience in order to enhance interaction with the host family. Tasks were incorporated into a Family Interaction Journal and implemented under four evolving, though different, conditions over a 5-year period. The conditions were: (1) home campus administered/student participated voluntarily; (2) home campus administered/student participated for voluntary credit; (3) abroad program administered/student participated voluntarily; and (4) abroad program administered/student participated for credit in conversation class. In each condition students were assigned to task/no-task groups. Although there were no statistically significant differences on questionnaire answers for the two groups, the qualitative data consistently showed greater understanding of the family, increased language and cultural learning, and increased interaction for the task group. Key words: Spanish, conversation class, family interaction, homestay, study abroad, task-based learning Introduction Study abroad has been hailed as the quintessential experiential opportunity for linguistic and cultural immersion (BrechtI Paige, Cohen, Kappler, Chi, & Lassegard, 2006). Yet past studies have shown that simply putting students in the foreign country, even with a host family, does not necessarily provide greater cultural awareness or linguistic opportunities than staying in the United States (see investigations by Freed, 1995; Rivers, 1998; Segalowitz & Freed, 2004; Talburt& Stewart, 1999;Wilkinson, 1998). As Brecht and Ingold (2000, p. 37) stated, ''The abroad experience is inherently so powerful . . . that often there is too little effort invested to make it as rich in outcomes as it could be.'' The opportunity is there, but should and can the study abroad program help students take advantage of that experience or just leave this to random chance? In terms of a scientific study, are there no other treatment groups than ''study abroad'' and ''no study abroad,'' or ''homestay'' and ''no homestay''? One really does need to ask the question posed by Magnan and Back (2007, p. 44), ''If developing language is a goal, how should such a short time abroad best be spent?'' In two studies of the homestay component of study abroad (Knight & Schmidt- Rinehart, 2002; Schmidt-Rinehart & Knight, 2004), the researchers found that although the majority of students in both Mexico and Spain sites felt very comfortable with their families at the end of the experience, some were disappointed that their home did not offer more linguistic and social interaction. Questionnaire results did not show a significant difference between mean scores asking students how much they spoke at home versus how much they spoke at school. In addition, the most frequent complaint from students in both countries during the personal interview was that they wanted to be more involved in family activities: ''They could have integrated me more into the real family life and activities; They could have invited me outmore with the family when they went out; I feel more like a guest in a hotel than part of the family'' (Schmidt-Rinehart & Knight, 2004, p. 259). This finding also appeared on the questionnaire results, with the lowest mean being ''How much did the family integrate you into family activities?'' Wilkinson (2000) found similar comments from students studying in France, such as, ''I was just so surprised that you could be in France for a month and really not speak French that often. I mean, I probably spoke about maybe three sentences a day in French with my family'' (p. 39). In their study, Magnan and Back (2007) found no significant difference in language gain based on living arrangement (i.e., dormitory, apartment, or homestay). …