Traditional Study Abroad vs. ELFSA: Differences and Similarities in L2 Reading, Vocabulary, and Use

ABSTRACT

Performing a stay in a country where the L2 is the official language can provide the perfect immersion for L2 development (traditional study abroad). In the case of English learners, internationalization and the role of English as a lingua franca make it unnecessary to perform the stay in an English-speaking country. Hence, an increasing number of students decide to study abroad in countries where English is used as a lingua franca (ELFSA). This study compares a group of Catalan/Spanish undergraduates learning English in a traditional study abroad setting (n = 31) to one doing so in ELFSA countries (n = 20) in order to examine differences concerning (a) reading comprehension and fluency, (b) receptive and productive vocabulary, and (c) L2 use. Participants were administered a reading text, the Updated Vocabulary Levels Test, a written task, and a questionnaire before and after their sojourns. Findings indicate that, subject to individual differences, both contexts provide similar outcomes in reading and vocabulary, and opportunities for L2 practice.

KEYWORDS:

• ELFSA
• L2 reading
• L2 use
• L2 vocabulary
• learning context
• SA

Acknowledgement

This study was supported by grant PID2019-10433GB-100. We would like to thank the teachers who allowed us to perform the data collection in their university classes.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca PID2019-10433GB-100.

Notes on contributors

Judith Borràs

Judith Borràs, PhD, is currently a researcher at Universitat de Lleida and a teacher at Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Her main research interest is exploring how different learning contexts can impact the development of a second language, but she is also interested in investigating how to make the L2 classroom more effective for students.