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Study Abroad Research in Second Language Acquisition and International Education
Vol. 3:2 (2018) ► pp.191–219

What difference does it make?

Examining English proficiency gain as an outcome of participation in ERASMUS study abroad programmes in the UK

| University of Oxford
| University of Oxford

Direct effects of participation in study abroad on linguistic proficiency have been notoriously difficult to differentiate from mere participant, time and study effects. This study examines English proficiency gains among 136 advanced-level German university students who applied for an ERASMUS exchange and either studied at a British university or continued to study at home. Participants completed C-tests of English language proficiency and comprehensive questionnaires at baseline, after three and nine months. After the first three months, those studying abroad had made significantly higher proficiency gains than the ERASMUS applicants who continued to study at home. During the subsequent six months, linguistic progress among the study abroad participants slowed and between-group differences were no longer significant. The results further substantiate hypotheses on significant linguistic benefits of participation in study abroad for advanced L2 learners, while also highlighting the need to facilitate sustained linguistic progress among exchange students, particularly during more extended stays.

Keywords: study abroad, ERASMUS, linguistic outcomes, L2 proficiency, advanced learners
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literature review
  • 3.Research question
  • 4.Method
    • 4.1The study abroad programme
    • 4.2Participants
    • 4.3Instruments
      • 4.3.1The C-test
      • 4.3.2The questionnaires
    • 4.4Data collection and analysis procedures
  • 5.Results
    • 5.1Overall L2 proficiency gain during the first three months (late September to December)
    • 5.2Overall L2 proficiency gain during the subsequent six months (January to June)
  • 6.Discussion
  • 7.Implications for practice
  • 8.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 12 October 2018
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/sar.16020.hes
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