As customized, faculty-led study abroad programs increase in popularity, the support behind these programs increases in sophistication. Gone are the days that faculty find themselves in a foreign country for the first time, with a class of students counting on them for their well-being and as their tour guide. Instead, many university study abroad offices are utilizing private companies that specialize in…
Studying abroad is clearly beneficial for students in many ways, but for many study abroad goers, the primary reason for studying abroad is to learn a foreign language. The study abroad environment offers many opportunities for students to enhance their foreign language proficiency that are simply not available at home. The following is a list of ways students can maximize…
The most recent Open Doors report indicates that during the 2013-2014 academic year, 62% of U.S. students who studied abroad participated in short-term study abroad programs (i.e., study abroad programs lasting for a summer term or up to eight weeks). As you might guess, many of these short-term study abroad programs are led by faculty. Although researchers have only begun…
The numbers are in and they’re very promising! Earlier this month the Institute of International Education released the latest installment of its annual Open Doors report on international education in the United States, reporting on both international students and scholars in the United States and U.S. students studying abroad. My focus here is on the U.S. study abroad data, but…
1. Create a Flexible Timeline Be sure to do research on your destination and arrange your timeline to include (or exclude) dates around holidays, cultural events or even times of unfavorable weather. 2. Set Goals Set goals for the trip, this should include education objectives with specific points or experiences that students can take away. It helps if these goals are…
With 2014 behind us, now is the time to be firm in the goals of your study abroad programming for 2015. Whether you have already begun this process, finalized it, and/or are in the midst of international travel at this very moment, here are 5 considerations and examples of explicit goals that will help you to prepare for 2015: 1….