STUDENT ACCULTURATION, LANGUAGE PREFERENCE, AND L2 COMPETENCE IN STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS IN THE ARABIC-SPEAKING WORLD

Literature pertaining to English-speaking L2 learners of Arabic on study abroad programs in the Arabic-speaking world is almost nonexistent. This may be due to the fact that not even one out of a hundred American students chooses to study abroad in the Arabic-speaking world each year (Gutierrez et al., 2009). The small number of American students studying in the Arabic speaking world is at odds with the MLA's most recent language report in which Arabic enrollments increased more than any other language from 2002 to 2006 (Furman, Goldberg & Lusin, 2007). With the increase in Arabic enrollments it is probable that more and more American students will desire to study Arabic in the Arabic-speaking world. The benefits of study abroad have long been praised (Carroll, 1967; Kinginger & Farrell, 2004; Berg et al., 2008). Not all studies, however, have been congruent (Freed, 1995). This dissertation investigates L2 learners of Arabic on study abroad programs in the Arabic-speaking world. The primary countries in this research are Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Syria, and Yemen. This research focuses on issues related to acculturation, language variety preference, proficiency and the use of technology in learning Arabic among students of Arabic on study abroad programs in the Arabic-speaking world. Particular attention is paid to the binary nature of Arabic as manifest in a host of spoken colloquial varieties. For example, the spoken colloquial Arabic in North Africa differs to a great extent from the Arabic spoken in the Levant. This feature of Arabic is referred to as diglossia (Ferguson, 1959a).Over 90 L2 learners of Arabic participated in this research, though not all of them answered every question. These learners completed an extensive online survey pertaining to their cultural experiences and interaction, language situations and functions, proficiency in Arabic, and which technologies they or their teachers used to assist in learning Arabic. It is hoped that this research will provide empirical insights pertaining to the cultural and linguistic experiences of L2 learners of Arabic in the Arabic-speaking world. General implications for Arabic programs are also presented