A cross-linguistic and cross-skill perspective on l2 development in study abroad

Abstract

The present study reports on measured gains in L2 proficiencies in speaking, reading and listening of U.S. students (N = 308) who took part in year-long federally funded overseas immersion programs for Arabic, Chinese and Russian. Subjects were late adolescent and young adult learners of diverse social and economic backgrounds participating in year-long structured instructed immersion programs hosted in China, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Morocco and Russia. L2 gains in post-program proficiency levels from 4.76 to 7.74 standard deviations above pre-program measured levels are reported for both the early- and the late-stage learners: Mean post-program proficiency levels of ILR-2, CEFR-B2 are demonstrated by the early-stage learners across skills in all three target languages. The mean post-program proficiency levels of ILR-3, CEFR-C1 of the university subjects meets certification levels for language-designated positions in in most U.S. government and professional organizations. The study also examines skill gains across modalities: Advanced participants show concurrent gains across three skills: reading, listening, and speaking. Post-program reading and speaking are strongly correlated with pre-program listening at the advanced levels. Reading ability is strongly associated with gains in speaking and in listening skills, as the student progresses from novice through the professional level.