ABSTRACT
As evidenced by this volume and others (e.g., Kinginger, 2009, 2013; Mitchell, Tracy-Ventura, & McManus, 2015; Pérez-Vidal, 2014), interest in the potential impact of study abroad (SA) on second language (L2) linguistic development has grown in recent years, fueled, no doubt, by an increase in the number of university students who participate in such programs. Considering just US students, during the 2015–2016 academic year, over 325,000 studied abroad for academic credit, representing a 3.8 percent increase over the previous year (Institute of International Education, 2017). Although this increase may reflect a growing interest in the development of international competence (Institute of International Education, 2015), it also reflects the belief of many instructors, students, and parents that a stay abroad positively impacts an individuals’ L2 competence in some way.
