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Article published In: Study Abroad Research in Second Language Acquisition and International Education
Vol. 1:1 (2016) ► pp.88–106

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The influence of a short stay abroad experience on perceived foreign accent

An exploratory study beyond the immediate effects

 | University of Lleida
Published online: 3 May 2016
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https://doi.org/10.1075/sar.1.1.04lla
This study examines the impact of learning context on the L2 pronunciation of 14 Catalan/Spanish-speaking children. Eight children engaged in a two-month study abroad (SA) experience, whereas six students learned English (L2) in their home school. The participants were asked to describe a picture at three data collection times, namely prior to the SA group’s departure to Ireland, immediately after they returned from their stay abroad, and a further year later again. The excerpts were presented to a group of 11 native speakers of English who rated the degree of foreign accent. Results indicate that for the SA group, the difference between the pre- and post-tests was significant, and approaching significance between the pre- and delayed post-tests. For the at-home group of learners, no significant difference was found.
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