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Inspired by my own experiences, I began this study to examine students' cultural engagement while studying abroad. Students' motivations to study abroad vastly vary and no two experiences are the same, due to the multitude of factors involved. Study abroad program providers and organizations frequently cite intercultural competence as a vital skill in the 21st century for all young professionals to build, and is often a goal of students to develop through their study abroad experiences. Before departure, some students may have a romanticized, grand vision of integrating themselves in a foreign culture and learning the language. Upon arrival, reality may prove to be quite different and students can get swept up in the novelty of living in a new environment and traveling with their new American friends from the same program. The vision of intercultural competence and foreign language acquisition gradually fades when realizing just how difficult they both are to achieve, especially in such a short time period. My hope is that this study can highlight issues that returned students of study abroad programs faced while abroad and can provide valuable insight for future study abroad participants into how to become more immersed in their host culture. By creating awareness of the merits of intercultural competence and the methods to develop it through study abroad, future students can become better equipped to have a more enriching experience. https://cultureasustudyabroad.wordpress.com/
ContributorsThoesen, Raquel Nathania (Author) / Scott Lynch, Jacquelyn (Thesis director) / Herrera Niesen, Carrie (Committee member) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
The purpose of this paper is to explore different aspects of participating in a study abroad program with a focus on the 2013 Critical Language Scholarship Program in Himeji, Japan. I had always wanted to study in Japan and was finally able to when I was selected for the CLS Program. The eight weeks I spent studying in Japan had a significant impact on my life, and I wondered if studying abroad has as much of an influence on other students too. The key questions in this research are: 1. What do students gain from studying abroad in Japan? What are the biggest benefits? 2. For what reasons do students decide to study in Japan? 3. What qualities make for a successful and beneficial language-learning program? The research was conducted through a fixed group who participated in in-depth qualitative interviews. The purposeful sample consisted of nine participants in the CLS Program (Japan 2013 institute) and several ASU faculty members. This paper also examines previous research that has been conducted relating to study abroad.
ContributorsPrang, Meiti (Author) / Silcock, Bill (Thesis director) / Wong, Elizabeth (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
"Baba Aruki: A Walk Down Baba Lane" will introduce the reader to scenes from my study abroad at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. The reader will experience the whirlwind nature of study abroad, the complexity of Japanese culture, and vicarious nostalgia for a place, time, and group of people now far removed from my daily life. I invite you to join me on this journey into my time in a different world. (Please note: turn on "comments" in the pdf file.)
ContributorsEvans, Rebecca Constance (Author) / Wong, Elizabeth (Thesis director) / Hunter, Joel (Committee member) / Scott Lynch, Jacquelyn (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
Students who study abroad often imagine their ideal life before arrival, but many do not intuit that in their desires lie future hardships. Successful Practices for Avoiding Culture Shock and Assimilating into Japanese Culture, a creative project, incorporates step-by-step tips, author anecdotes, real-life survey experiences, and literary references to help students adjust to the mental stresses that come with studying and living within a foreign culture. Three parts divide the brochure and promote self-empowerment and success. Topics include but are not limited to the importance of establishing goals in connection to study abroad, securing funds and scholarships, surviving international travel, building on failure, overcoming language learning plateaus, avoiding danger, perceiving beyond what is visible in the host culture, and reverse culture shock. By following the steps proposed in this brochure, students will be able to outsmart the negative aspects of culture shock. Although this brochure aims to be of use to anyone aspiring to study abroad, it primarily targets students who wish to study in Japan. For additional preparation, students will scrutinize Japan-America intercultural situations via activities and trace where instances of culture shock may arise. Perceptive students will realize that the homogenous nation emphasizes a group mentality, and that the individualistic and ethnocentric programming most Americans undergo serves no place in the collectivistic culture. A student will succeed not by imagining himself or herself as a visitor, but as someone who truly has a role in the society. If students do not impose their American disposition, but instead adopt characteristics that harmonize with a Japanese temperament, they will heighten their senses as a listener and observer, and thus find belonging in the culture.
ContributorsPhillips, Kayla Susanne (Author) / Wilson, Bradley (Thesis director) / Suhara, Eiji (Committee member) / Department of English (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
This project includes a travel blog made while studying abroad in Dublin, Ireland during spring semester of 2020. The blog is called Sierra Sage and can be found at https://sierrasage.travel.blog/. The project also includes data and analysis from six paid advertisement campaigns made on Google and Facebook/Instagram. The blog includes 24 blog posts targeted toward students interested in study abroad and/or travel, and each campaign on both platforms applies to a separate blog post written as part of the project. The paid advertisements were completed using funding from Barrett, The Honors College.
ContributorsPoore, Sierra Sage (Author) / Bonilla, Luis (Thesis director) / West, Maureen (Committee member) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Comm (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-12