Abstract

This qualitative study follows the experiences of four female students as they sought to gain access to native speakers and the L2, engage with the culture, and fulfill program speaking requirements (two hours of speaking the second language outside of class per weekday) in Amman, Jordan. The research explores the following questions: what challenges did female participants on BYU's intensive Arabic study abroad (SA) program face as they accessed native speakers and the L2 outside of the classroom, how were participants able to persevere through and overcome these challenges, and how were program interventions set up to help participants persevere and overcome these challenges? Data include a pre-study abroad questionnaire, daily/weekly reports, semi-structured interviews, and an exit survey. Through the lens of the Ecological Approach to Language Learning, findings reveal how students worked alongside the study abroad program to access native speakers and the L2 within the sociocultural environment.

Degree

College and Department

Humanities; Center for Language Studies

Rights

http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/