Japanese vocabulary development in and beyond study abroad: the timing of the year abroad in a language degree curriculum

要旨

This article reports the results of a study of vocabulary development by learners of Japanese during a year abroad in Japan. The particular feature of this study is that it compares the performance of two cohorts, studying at the same UK university and in degrees in Japanese in which the period of study abroad (SA) is undertaken at different points of the degree – in Year 2 and Year 3 respectively. Their performance is compared at three points in time: before and after the period of SA, and one year after return. The group going to Japan at a lower proficiency level (i.e. SA in Year 2) appears to benefit more in terms of absolute gains, although the two groups appear to perform rather similarly when their potential gains (i.e. gains against the test's ceiling) are considered. The two groups’ gains in the year following the SA are considerably smaller than during the period abroad but are remarkably similar to each other; however, these gains take place at different instructional levels. The implications for the timing of periods of SA are discussed.

主題