Date: Tuesday, 17th March 2015
Speakers: Thomas Hayward
Topic: Study abroad and its implications for self access practices: An overview of relevant research
Abstract:
This presentation provides an overview of study abroad (SA) research, looking at how the studies are conceived and their overall aims. This research has traditionally been informed by issues in the wider field of second language acquisition, and the central focus has been on proficiency outcomes and why there is such variance between learners. There have been a number of theories devised to account for this outcome, some focusing on learner-internal variables and others looking at contextual factors that can play a role in the amount of language a sojourner ultimately acquires while abroad. These various research approaches will be discussed, and then relevant lessons will be drawn for how self access can help prepare sojourners for their study abroad experience.
Speaker’s bio:
Thomas Hayward is a final-year PhD candidate in the English Department of City U. His thesis is an ethnographic case study of the internationalization practices of a Taiwanese university, and he is using a discourse analysis framework to determine where agency exists in the implementation of internationalization policy at the micro-contextual level. More broadly, he has an interest in second language identities and learner autonomy, particularly in study abroad contexts. An American citizen by birth, Mr. Hayward has lived and worked in several countries in Europe and East Asia.