Effects of Study-Abroad Experiences on EFL Writers: A Multiple-Data Analysis

• MIYUKI SASAKI ^[1]
  1. [1] Nagoya Gakuin University

     Nagoya Gakuin University

     Naka-ku, Japón

     
• Localización: Modern language journal, ISSN 0026-7902, Vol. 91, Nº 4, 2007, págs. 602-620
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • This study was a comparison of the changes in English writing behavior of 7 Japanese university students (the study-abroad group) who spent 4 to 9 months in English-speaking countries with those of 6 counterparts majoring in British and American studies (the at-home group) who remained in Japan. The study aimed at confirming the results of Sasaki (2004), who investigated similar students' English-writing behavior over 3.5 years. After a 1-year observation period, (a) both groups improved their general English proficiency; (b) only those in the study-abroad group improved their second language (L2) writing ability and fluency; (c) unlike Sasaki's participants, the study-abroad group made more local plans and the at-home group fewer; (d) at the end of the study, both groups translated their ideas into the L2 as often as they did at the beginning of the study; and (e) only the study-abroad group became more motivated to write better L2 compositions.