Intercultural Competence in Short-Term Study Abroad (original) (raw)
Related papers
Student Intercultural Proficiency From Study Abroad Programs
Journal of Marketing Education, 2009
In the past decade, study abroad programs (SAPs) have more than doubled, where today, about 223,000 U.S. college students study abroad, immersing themselves in foreign language, culture, and business practices. It is customary to hear students describe these experiences as “life changing,” yet little empirical evidence exists to establish the specific areas of personal development achieved in a SAP. This study investigates several of the potential intercultural influences of a semester abroad for students from the United States. Findings reveal that students who study abroad may have greater intercultural proficiency, increased openness to cultural diversity, and become more globally minded than those students remaining in a traditional campus setting. Students who participate in SAPs perceive themselves as being more proficient, approachable, and open to intercultural communication.
Fostering intercultural competence: Impacts of a multi-destination study abroad program
2015
The attainment of attitudes, knowledge, and skills that develop students’ intercultural competence so that they may navigate the globally interconnected environment of the 21 century is touted as an important learning objective for higher education (Deardorff & Jones, 2012). Colleges and universities strive to enhance this learning objective by offering a variety of international opportunities; prominent among these is a period of study abroad. However, past research indicates the results of intercultural development through study abroad are mixed. How can education abroad contribute to students’ intercultural development? This study focuses on a cohort of students who traverse through three countries (China, Russia, India) in the course of one semester as they live and learn together, alongside faculty and staff from their home institution. To better understand the features of study abroad programs that contribute to students’ intercultural development, this study examined the real...
Proceedings of the Intercultural Competence Conference, 2014
This study examined intercultural competence (ICC) growth during short-term study abroad, focusing on intermediate to advanced level Spanish students who participated in a 6-week program in Madrid, Spain. The program's goals addressed learning about the Spanish language and culture. Results relied on a quantitative survey instrument and qualitative interviews, each conducted at the beginning and end of the program. Following validation of the survey instrument, quantitative results demonstrated ICC growth overall, considering intercultural knowledge, attitude, and skills, with the most significant growth being in knowledge. Knowledge gains were also evident when qualitatively comparing the pre and post-program interviews. Students initially commented on culturally relevant knowledge areas that were part of their personal, daily experiences. In the post-program interviews, growth was reflected in additional knowledge about factual information and experiences not part of daily activities. Additionally, at the end of the program, students expressed enhanced knowledge about personal, daily experiences, indicating growth in the depth of their knowledge. Overall, this study highlights the importance of pre and post-program qualitative data, contributes new details about the type and depth of knowledge growth over a short-term program, and addresses the current dearth of information about ICC development during short-term international experiences.
Enhancing Intercultural Competence through Overseas Study Programs
This paper explicates how a Japanese university is working to enhance and expand its Overseas Study Programs (OSPs). As Twonbly et al. (2012) claim, OSPs should provide students with more opportunities to enhance their foreign language ability and intercultural competence. This is pertinent to Japan as it seeks to nurture students with these skills for active use in the ever-expanding global society. In this paper, an outline of the design, implementation, and evaluation of OSPs at Japanese universities, including Nanzan University is provided, with a particular focus on its Nanzan Asia Program (NAP). Following this, it moves on to discuss the development of other OSPs currently being created. Finally, it offers suggestions to help teachers and administrators enhance their own program development by providing examples of the areas in which Nanzan University pursues further improvements. Keywords: Intercultural competence, overseas study programs, program development
Higher Education Evaluation and Development
PurposeThe purpose of this case study is to explore to what extent US university undergraduates participating in a research abroad program through US–Taiwan Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) developed intercultural awareness and cross-cultural adaptability skills. It also suggests additional program design features to enhance students' international experiences.Design/methodology/approachTo better understand participants' experiences in the PIRE program, this study adopts a mixed-methods approach. Demographic questionnaires, pre- and postsurveys, observational field notes and individual interviews were conducted for data collection and analysis.FindingsStudents perceived the experience abroad to improve their intercultural awareness and skills such as openness to cultural differences, coping with challenges abroad and effectively working in diverse teams. Specifically, quantitative findings reflected group gains in the areas of flexibility/openness...