ABSTRACT
Studying abroad benefits almost every aspect of learning a second or foreign language, even when students perceive difficulties integrating or learning while studying abroad (Kinginger, 2011). Researchers have long investigated what makes study abroad successful for some and not so successful for others as well as why some study abroad, while others do not. For example, researchers have used focus groups to understand students’ choices and decisions on study abroad (Doyle et al., 2010; Foster, 2014); how study abroad changes students’ various perceptions on culture, learning, and the world (Bacon, 2002; Forsey, Broomhall, & Davis, 2012); and how study abroad contributes to the language development process (DeKeyser, 2010; Mitchell, 2015). Although it is readily accepted that study abroad is only part of what makes language learning successful (see Winke & Gass, 2018), there is an implicit assumption that post-study abroad, students will continue to study the language and learn.
