Nature of the Study Abroad Experience

The study abroad experience is often not what one might intuitively expect. There are some interesting findings in this area.

• Students abroad use English more than their second language (Freed, Segalowitz & Dewey, 2003).
• Gender, group affiliations and host family preferences can influence reading habits while abroad (Kline, 1995).
• Students are critical of their classroom instruction while abroad, but this instruction helps them to form goals (Brecht & Robinson, 1995).
• Sexist and other gender-related behavior may influence learning (Polanyi, 1995).
• Homestay “interactions” are often centered around the television (Frank, 1997).
• Homestay students often spend time at home alone (Frank, 1997).
• Homestay family size can affect interaction (Frank, 1997).
• Conversation with host families is often simple and redundant (Frank, 1997).
• Homestay students develop literacy skills more than students in dormitories and dormitory students develop oral skills more than homestay students (Rivers, 1998).