Analysis of Short-Term Study Abroad in Japanese Secondary Education

Jarwin K. Martin
Seigakuin University, Department of Fundamental Education
Volume 13, Number 1, September 2020
https://doi.org/10.37546/JALTSIG.SA.JOWE13.1-1
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Abstract
Research by Segalowitz and Freed (2004) focuses on study abroad outcomes such as proficiency gains and improvement in pragmatic skills, however, this has been conducted in higher education and there are only a few studies available directed towards study abroad outcomes in secondary education (Leis, 2015). This quantitative study aims to examine the effects of a short-term study abroad program (SA) on a group of Japanese high school students. It will use three motivation variables: attitudes to learning English, international posture, and second language (L2) anxiety. Additionally, this study employs adapted pre and post surveys conducted with a sample of fourteen high school students who participated in a seven-day study abroad program to Taiwan, these were compared with a control group of nineteen peers enrolled in a similar course. The paired sample t-tests showed no statistically significance differences for the international posture’s experimental condition and control condition and no significant changes were observed in the anxiety experimental condition and control condition.

Keywords: short-term, study abroad, high school, Japan