Study Abroad Resources

Study abroad is a potentially valuable experience in today's global economy. With proper preparation it can be transformational. It can open you to the appreciation of other cultures; develop the transferable intercultural skills for interacting with people from different backgrounds; and deepen your self-awareness about your values and expectations. It can build confidence as you learn to navigate unfamiliar situations, and help you deal with the ambiguities of life. Study abroad also develops knowledge and insights about our interconnected world that will serve you well whether you choose a career in business, non-profits, education, or government. A recent study by IES Abroad found that many employers value the intercultural skills and personal development that students gain from their travel. Students who had studied abroad reported higher starting salaries and were more likely to have landed a job within six months of graduation than the national average. This book is written for you, as a student who is learning about the world first-hand, and probably traveling abroad for the first time. It addresses the challenges of adapting thinking and behavior as you travel in an unfamiliar environment, of making the most of the opportunities, and of meeting and interacting with the locals. This book is designed to help you prepare for your study abroad experience so you can get the most from it, and gain critical intercultural skills while crossing cultures. It offers strategies for learning about and exploring cultural differences and similarities of the country you will visit; and advice about how to actively observe and participate in the life of the locality in which you will find yourself. Each chapter illustrates key concepts through the personal accounts of students who have "been there, done that." This book aims to help you with your own personal journey, and to make your study abroad experience as meaningful, rewarding, and insightful as possible.

The papers in this volume offer a sampling of contemporary efforts to update the portrayal of study abroad in the applied linguistics literature through attention to its social and cultural aspects. The volume illustrates diversification of theory and method, refinement of approaches to social interactive language use, and expansion in the range of populations and languages under scrutiny. Part I offers a topical orientation, outlining the rationale for the project. Part II presents six qualitative case studies adopting sociocultural, activity theoretical, postructuralist, or discourse analytic methodologies. The four chapters in Part III illustrate a variety of approaches and foci in research on the pragmatic capabilities of study abroad participants in relation to second language identities. The volume will be of interest to a broad audience of applied linguistics researchers, language educators, and professionals engaged in the design, oversight, and assessment of study abroad programs.

Study abroad is now both an international industry and an experience that can have a deep impact on students' attitudes and approaches to second language learning. Narratives of Second Language Identity in Study Abroad brings together three important research areas by exploring the impact of study abroad on second language identities through narrative research. It outlines a new model of second language identity that incorporates a range of language and personal competencies. The three main dimensions of this model are explored in chapters that begin with students' study abroad narratives, followed by the authors' in-depth analysis. Further chapters use narratives to assess the impact of programme type and individual difference. Arguing that second language identity development is one of the more important outcomes of study abroad, the book concludes with recommendations on how study abroad programmes can best achieve this outcome.

Written for study abroad practitioners, this book introduces theoretical understandings of key study abroad terms including "the global/national," "culture," "native speaker," "immersion," and "host society." Building theories on these notions with perspectives from cultural anthropology, political science, educational studies, linguistics, and narrative studies, it suggests ways to incorporate them in study abroad practices. Through attention to daily activities via the concept of immersion, it reframes study abroad not as an encounter with cultural others but as an occasion to analyze constructions of "differences" in daily life, backgrounded by structural arrangements.

This book focuses on case studies of vocabulary strategy use and presents an in-depth account of the vocabulary learning experiences of Chinese students in the UK. It challenges the view that vocabulary strategies result only from learners' cognitive choices, and provides insightful analysis of the interplay between learner characteristics, agency and context in the process of strategic learning. The author makes a strong case for using qualitative methodologies to examine the dynamic, complex and contextually situated nature of strategic vocabulary learning. Drawing on multiple data sources, the book discusses issues that are central to the continuing development of vocabulary strategy research and offers theoretical, research-based and practical suggestions for future exploration. This book will appeal to students and scholars of second language acquisition, vocabulary and applied linguistics.

Global Perspectives on International Student Experiences in Higher Education examines a wide range of international student experiences empirically from multiple perspectives that includes socio-cultural identities, contextual influences on their learning experiences, their wellbeing experiences, and their post-study experiences.　 This collection sheds light on the over five million students who cross geographical, cultural, and educational borders for higher education outside of their home countries. This book consists of nineteen chapters spread across four sections.　Throughout the book, contributors question the existing assumptions and values of international student programs and services, reexamine and explore new perspectives to present the emerging challenges and critical evaluations of student experiences and their identities. Offering a rich understanding of these students and their global college experiences in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and Americas, this book offers research-based strategies to effectively recruit, engage, support, and retain international students as they participate in higher educational settings around the world. This book provides resource material to benefit educators, policymakers, and staff who work closely with international students in higher education.

Today, more and more students are choosing to study overseas. Most relish this opportunity to become "student ambassadors" for their country and community, and eagerly anticipate engaging with the people at their chosen destination. In many cases, however, they quickly encounter obstacles. In Coping with Anti-Americanism, Carol Madison Graham shows students how to break out of their comfort zone, thrive in another society, and handle the anti-Americanism they may encounter. This helpful new guide, by a study-abroad program administrator and former overseas student herself, shows how to get the most out of what can be an exciting and rewarding experience.

Around the world, there is mounting evidence that parks and protected areas contribute to a healthy civil society, thus increasing the economic importance of cultural and nature-based tourism. Operating at the intersection of business and the environment, tourism can improve human health and wellbeing as well as serve as a catalyst for increasing appreciation and stewardship of the natural world. While the revenues from nature-based activities help to make the case for investing in park and protected area management; the impacts they have need to be carefully managed, so that visitors do not destroy the natural wonders that attracted them to a destination in the first place. This book features contributions from tourism and recreation researchers and practitioners exploring the relationship between tourism, hospitality, protected areas, livelihoods and both physical and emotional human wellbeing. The book includes sections focused on theory, policy and practice, and case studies, to inform and guide industry decisions to address real-world problems and proactively plan for a sustainable and healthy future. Key features: Case studies discussing best practices for park and protected area tourism development Multi-disciplinary approach to the study of nature-based tourism Innovative approaches including SME within protected destinations

Global Perspectives on International Student Experiences in Higher Education examines a wide range of international student experiences empirically from multiple perspectives that includes socio-cultural identities, contextual influences on their learning experiences, their wellbeing experiences, and their post-study experiences.　 This collection sheds light on the over five million students who cross geographical, cultural, and educational borders for higher education outside of their home countries. This book consists of nineteen chapters spread across four sections.　Throughout the book, contributors question the existing assumptions and values of international student programs and services, reexamine and explore new perspectives to present the emerging challenges and critical evaluations of student experiences and their identities. Offering a rich understanding of these students and their global college experiences in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and Americas, this book offers research-based strategies to effectively recruit, engage, support, and retain international students as they participate in higher educational settings around the world. This book provides resource material to benefit educators, policymakers, and staff who work closely with international students in higher education.

This book is an indispensable how-to guide on flourishing when studying abroad, and how to use an international education to begin a fulfilling career after graduation. Written in an engaging and accessible style, using many examples, case studies, and links to resources, the book reduces the stress of studying abroad. Covering all aspects of the international student experience - inside and outside the classroom - the book encourages young people to perform their very best and succeed in their new environment. International students preparing for cross-cultural learning and recent graduates looking for employment will find this book both practical and inspiring.

Get Set for Study Abroad is a guide-book for students who are thinking of studying outside the UK as part of their home degree and for others who want to know what is involved.It takes you through the whole process, from finding out about the opportunities available and making your selection of a programme up to completing the studies and returning home. It explains what things you need to think about at each stage as you make your preparations and then carry out your studies. There are sections on academic requirements, costs and funding. The book also offers advice on study skills and outlines issues which arise in intercultural communication. It gives particular coverage of programmes in the European Union (such as Erasmus/Socrates) and the USA, the two main areas of interest for UK students. Though the focus is largely on undergraduates, there are sections dealing also with postgraduate study. Student commentaries, a guide to web-sites and printed materials, and a glossary of the terms you are most likely to encounter are also included.The text cuts through the red-tape and bureaucratic language of much of the programme literature and presents a student-friendly viewpoint with candour and good humour.Key Features:• Explains the whole complex process simply and clearly•

A growing number of foreign language students are taking part in study and residence abroad programs, but what actually happens when they cross cultures in an unfamiliar land? What effect can a sojourn have on their sense of self and their perceptions of the target language and culture? What factors affect their willingness to use the target language in social settings? This book is based on the premise that student sojourners and educators can benefit from a deeper understanding of the language, identity, and cultural factors that impact on the development of intercultural communicative competence and intercultural personhood, a new, alternative identity that is broader, more inclusive, more intercultural - something that will always contain the old and the new side by side to form 'a third kind' - a kind that allows more openness and acceptance of differences in people (Kim, 2001: 232-3). Linking contemporary sociocultural/ identity theories with practice, the relationship between language and cultural learning and identity reconstruction are examined through an ethnographic exploration of the actual experiences of study abroad participants. The book provides a unique, interdisciplinary perspective, addressing issues of importance to professionals in second language acquisition, sociolinguistics, cross-cultural psychology, speech communication, and intercultural communication.

What makes a person pack up and move to another country? What does she or he hope to gain from the experience? How do children fit into the picture? Our International Education presents the stories of three American women, a university professor, a high school math teacher, and a high school English as a second language teacher, who move to Hungary for a year to teach. Each woman brings her young children and enrolls them in local Hungarian public schools though none of them speak Hungarian at the beginning of the experience. The autoethnographic stories that make up Our International Education weave together the personal and professional dimensions of life abroad, illuminating not only the realities of negotiating work, school, and family life in another country, but also the complexities of cultural adjustment and second language acquisition. First-person storytelling makes this book a compelling read for those considering a move abroad with their family, and an excellent supplemental narrative for those studying second language acquisition, acculturation, autoethnography, and international education.