Language Contact Profile Research Articles

Arabic and English During Study Abroad in Cairo, Egypt: Issues of Access and Use

ABSTRACTThis article provides a snapshot of the experiences of 18 students studying abroad in Cairo, Egypt. Using a modified version of the language contact profile (Freed, Segalowitz, & Dewey, 2004), I investigate their language use and find that students use English more than they use Arabic and that there is considerable individual variation in Arabic use. Using interviews, I explore factors promoting study abroad participants' use of English and limiting their use of Arabic. The data indicate that students have difficulty gaining access to native speakers of Arabic compared to their use of English with other international students. Furthermore, gaining access to native speakers of Arabic does not guarantee the use of Arabic; their Arabic proficiency, interactional goals, and identification as foreigners can promote the use of English above Arabic. Finally, I examine the ways in which students are nevertheless able to overcome these limitations to gain access to native speakers and use Arabic.

Promoting Speaking Proficiency through Motivation and Interaction: The Study Abroad and Classroom Learning Contexts

Abstract: This study investigates how motivation and interaction shape the speaking proficiency of study abroad (SA) and classroom or at home (AH) language learners. The author administered a motivation questionnaire, language contact profile, and pretest and posttest simulated oral proficiency interview. The data reveal that SA and AH students had similar motivational profiles. As expected, SA participants used the target language outside of class more than their AH counterparts. Furthermore, SA students improved their speaking proficiency more than the AH group. Student motivation and interaction were identified as important factors in the development of speaking proficiency in both learning contexts. Results suggest a potential role for explicit instruction in language learning strategies and approaches that enhance students' motivation and interaction with the target language culture. Discussion focuses on how to use the positive features of the SA environment to enhance AH instruction.

The Relationship Among Motivation, Interaction, and the Development of Second Language Oral Proficiency in a Study‐Abroad Context

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the role of integrative motivation, instrumental motivation, and interaction with a second language (L2) culture in shaping students’ speaking performance before and after participation in a 1‐semester study‐abroad program in Spain. A 2‐part questionnaire (Student Background Information and Motivation Index), a language contact profile, and a pretest and posttest simulated oral proficiency interview were administered to 20 study‐abroad participants. The results highlight 3 major points. First, students can indeed improve their L2 speaking proficiency during a 1‐semester study‐abroad program. Second, there is a positive relationship between students’ integrative motivation and their interaction with the L2 culture. Third, student contact with the Spanish language has a significant effect on their speaking improvement. The data confirm the importance of focusing on learning activities that enhance students’ integrative motivation and interaction with the L2 culture in both the formal classroom (“at home”) and in the study‐abroad program.

Social Interaction and Linguistic Gain During Study Abroad

Abstract: This study investigates the role of social interaction in language gain among study abroad students in France. Using the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI), the Can‐Do self‐assessment scale (Clark, 1981), a revised version of the Language Contact Profile (LCP; Freed, Dewey, Segalowitz, & Halter, 2001), and preand postdeparture questionnaires, we examine gains in oral proficiency as related to language contact in the study abroad environment. This research shows that language gain is possible during a semester‐long study abroad program. It does not uphold the common belief that living situation and contact with authentic media differentiate students who improve from those who do not. Looking at the background of students (age, gender, grade point average, etc.), it reveals that only prior coursework in French correlates strongly with gains in proficiency once abroad. In its most surprising finding, this study suggests that speaking French with Americans may impede proficiency development.