Access Type

Open Access Dissertation

Date of Award

1-1-2011

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Department

Curriculum and Instruction

First Advisor

Marc H. Rosa

Second Advisor

Sharon Elliott

Abstract

The objective of this dissertation was to discover the program effects of long- and short-term study abroad for university students at a midwestern, public university. Affective outcomes, such as motivation, attitude and anxiety, were examined using Gardner's Attitudes and Motivational Test Battery (AMTB) survey and a student demographic questionnaire. Quantitative data from the student demographic survey reported that the typical foreign language student surveyed is female, between the ages of 18-22, a junior, a liberal arts major with non-native fluency in the target language. The typical study abroad program attended by this sample is: short-term (less than eight weeks), most often 5-6 weeks in duration, a language and culture program with 10-16 hours of instruction per week. Quantitative data from the AMTB survey reported that SA students had a higher motivation index than the non-SA participants. The attitude index did not show a statistical difference between the SA group and the non-SA group. Anxiety, however, was found to be significantly lower in the SA students when compared to that of their non-SA counterparts. These findings contribute to the field of foreign language education by offering empirical evidence that a short-term study abroad experience does make a difference in regards to student motivation and anxiety in foreign language learning.

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