Measuring Language Acquisition

Abstract

A student cited in Colin Evans’ Language People has the following wisdom to share about the role of residence abroad in language learning: ‘There is only one way to learn a language properly. If you want to get to the heart of a language, you go out there’ (Evans 1988: 43). By observing that a sojourn abroad is the sole means to attain profound knowledge of a language, this student echoes both professional folklore and popular impressions of the study abroad experience. But what does it mean to ‘get to the heart’ of language, and how can this knowledge be demonstrated, documented, assessed — in a word — proven? If popular opinion would have us believe that study abroad leads to impressive changes in students’ language ability, can this opinion be substantiated with facts? What evidence has been gathered to support claims about the crucial role of study abroad as an environment for language learning? This chapter scrutinizes the history of attempts, on the part of applied linguists and language educators, to measure the outcomes of study abroad in terms of language ability.