Individual differences in U.S. study abroad students in Barcelona

Abstract

The present study investigates individual differences in study abroad through a quantitative analysis of U.S. learners of Spanish studying in Barcelona, Spain (n = 54). While many studies have aimed at discussing one or two specific items, the present study combines aspects of attitude, motivation, and language contact with perceived gains in language skill by examining answers from a comprehensive questionnaire designed to accurately gather information on these individual differences. The data reveal that these study abroad students are highly motivated, and correlational analyses establish significant positive relationships between integrative orientations, attitude, language contact and self-reported perceived gains in linguistic skills. The study suggests that a positive attitude towards the target language and integrative motivation can be important factors in influencing how much contact students have with the target language and how much they feel they have improved in a variety of language skills. It also explores the potential effects of learning a language in a bilingual context and calls for further research on this theme.