EFFECTS OF STUDY-ABROAD EXPERIENCES ON L2 WRITING: Insights From Published Research

The number of studies investigating the effects of study-abroad (SA) experiences on second language (L2) writing abilities is far smaller than that of studies of their effects on other types of L2 knowledge and skills. In response, this chapter offers a critical review of studies investigating the impact of SA on L2 abilities, especially those little-studied L2 writing abilities. Organizationally, the chapter defines the critical terms “study-abroad” and “language ability” and then summarizes how the effects of SA on L2 language proficiency other than L2 writing abilities have been investigated. This is followed by an in-depth review of how the impact of SA on L2 writing itself has been examined in terms of epistemological orientations and methods. This chapter is unique in that its focus and assumptions draw on the narratives of the very first Japanese women who studied abroad in the 1870s, because their stories reveal rarely reported life-long effects of SA on various L2 skills and knowledge. On the basis of this review, the chapter suggests potential research paths for future SA-related studies of L2 writing in terms of focus, theoretical orientation, and methodology.