Working memory and study abroad: a study of memory and language gains

Study abroad is commonly thought to be the secret to success in learning a second language (L2). In fact, research has shown that learners who study abroad for a semester or a year tend to outperform their counterparts who stay home in various measures of linguistic development (Taguchi). However, short-term study abroad (i.e., 5-8 weeks), is more accessible due to financial and time constraints and thus has become the most popular study abroad program type in recent years (IIE, 2019). Interestingly, there are a limited number of studies in the field of second language acquisition that examine the effects of short-term study abroad experiences. Given this dearth of studies on short-term study abroad, we investigate gains in L2 learners' linguistic knowledge after a five week program. In addition to short-term study abroad, we explore how working memory helps or hinders students’ ability to improve their language skills after a short journey abroad. This study aims to find out to what extent an individual’s working memory capacity helps them to improve their language skills during an experience of total language immersion. In this study, participants were students of Spanish at the elementary level, and they spent five weeks in Oviedo, Spain during the summer term. The preliminary results of this study (N = 8) suggest that there is a significant relationship between the Digit Span Task (which measures working memory capacity) and the change in performance on the Elicited Imitation Task (administered at the beginning and end of the program and measures language comprehension and production). In this study, we tentatively demonstrate the benefits of short-term study abroad programs in terms of linguistic development. Due to the small quantity of participants, it is necessary that we conduct more studies in the future to continue the studying of the benefits of short-term study experiences abroad.

Institute of International Education. (2019). “Detailed Duration of U.S. Study Abroad,

2005/06-2017/18” Open Doors Report on International Exchange. Retrieved from

http://www.iie.org/opendoors.

Taguchi, N. (2011). The effect of L2 proficiency and study‐abroad experience on pragmatic comprehension. Language Learning, 61(3), 904-939.