Providing learners of a foreign language with meaningful opportunities for interactions, specifically with native speakers, is especially challenging for instructors. One way to overcome this obstacle is through video-synchronous computer-mediated communication tools such as Skype software. This study reports quantitative and qualitative data from…

Although the "homestay" has long been considered a key factor in the study abroad experience, it is one of the least examined components of foreign study. In an effort to explore this issue from various perspectives, this study targeted several programs in Spain and Mexico with interviews of host families, students, and housing directors. Each…

Describes a study conducted at Weston (Connecticut) High School of the language skills and attitude changes of a group of students participating in an overseas study program. The goals of the program were to increase participants' understanding and appreciation of another culture, and to provide stimulus for language learning. (Author/CLK)