Partner Article

Exploring the Impact of Study Abroad on Students

The article highlights how a need for assessment result in study abroad from exploring intercultural communication skills of study abroad and on campus students. From post-test and pre-test of two particular abilities, intercultural sensitivity and intercultural adaptability, the students of study abroad were compared with the students who preferred to stay back on campus, in order to review the changes and transformation noticed at the time of taking semester courses and how it has benefited the students. The author used intercultural sensitivity index and Cross cultural adaptability inventory, the two student groups that were evaluated individually along with their weaknesses and strengths from self-reported inventory at the starting and end of the semester. The outcome confirmed that the hypothesis with students who study abroad display more change towards intercultural communication abilities after the end of their semester abroad as compared with students that stay on campus. The overall outcome reflects that exposure to several cultures were biggest forecaster of intercultural communication abilities.

Lastly, the ability and resourcefulness for dealing with stress persist from intercultural communication competency research. Further the article emphasised more on the skills and capability for creating a new social reward set for sustaining ones problem solving skills, capabilities to manage psychological stress and behaviour, this characteristics can be known as emotional resilience, this needs the ability for facing confusion, misunderstandings and failures to endure working towards positive connections.

In order to review the research over intercultural communication competency and skills, various major elements persist. Open mindedness and flexibility is one notable characteristic that various theorists include in their lists. It was known as open-mindedness to new concepts, cognitive flexibility, multicultural man, and directness to transformation; however the approach and theme of open mindedness and flexibility were still present. Personal stability and strength is noted in diverse forms as another vital trait for successful intercultural communications. It was mentioned in terms of personal stability, the multicultural individual who is mainly grounded in his or her own personality strength, internal control locus, motivations and inner directed drives, however the concepts and ideas can be expressed in terms of personal independence.

The article began with an effort to better quantify and understand the objective and advantage of study abroad in relation to multicultural world. whereas anecdotal indications abounds, there are small quantifiable research on traits and skills which students form as an outcome of studying abroad and how this can be applicable to life at present. The study is an initial step towards measuring and identifying intercultural communication abilities of students who study abroad, and associating the improvement and development of such capabilities towards international experience.

Author Bio:

Tracy is responsible for working behind the scenes in order to keep several of logistical pieces and aspects moving, and organizes various programs. Teaching up UNPR courses on “global citizenship” and Essay writing service Institute and guides the ’Certificate in International studies”. Tracy currently holds a PhD degree in Linguistics from University of Texas located in Arlington along with her research on intercultural learning and linguistic identify that has been published in several journals. She is passionate enough to work and improve the educational system and for this she is very much interested in returning back to Middle East.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sophie Devine .