Copyright by Tatiana Borisovna Segura 2008 - The University of ...

process of acculturation, the point that has to be constantly emphasized is that
acculturation is not something that occurs in isolation from the rest of the activities and
that acculturation does not necessarily start at the beginning of the study abroad stay and
ends when it is over.
GENDER
Gender in the study abroad research
The need for more research
Study abroad research has experienced much interest and attention on the part of
language professionals in the past two decades, yet little has been written on the
development of linguistic and sociolinguistic competence in a study abroad context
(Freed; Regan). Research directly related to the issues of gender in a study abroad context
is even scarcer (Wright; Twombly; Talburt and Stewart). This is particularly surprising
because starting with the beginning of the nineties more and more women in the United
States are applying for study abroad programs.
Individual differences play a crucial role in linguistic and cultural acquisition both
in a classroom situation and on a study abroad trip. Outside of the study abroad setting,
research shows that women are usually more successful language learners than men.
Women traditionally have a better attitude towards language learning and are more
collaborative in their language learning attempts than men. Women’s better attitude
towards language learning could be accounted for by a common belief that language
teaching is a good, solid career choice for an educated woman. Men, on the other hand,
are believed to be better off with careers in business, as well as in the medical and legal
fields because those fields are financially more secure.
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