Agency Effects on L2 Engagement: Study Abroad versus Stay at Home

Abstract

In Study Abroad (SA) research, agency – defined as the capacity to make choices and effect personal or social change – has been extensively examined, particularly for long-term sojourns. Studies have largely focused on learners’ engagement during SA programs and its impact on their second language (L2) identity. However, less attention has been paid to agency among students who remain in their home institution (SH). Based on the data of the LATISA project (Languages, Affordances and Transnational Identities in Study Abroad), this study compares the oral English development of SA and SH students majoring in French Business and Administration. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines keyword analysis with conceptual interpretation of student narratives across three points of the academic year, we look at how different forms of agency emerge and evolve. Findings indicate that some SH students show certain gains not displayed by their SA counterparts, thereby questioning certain received ideas about the supremacy of study abroad settings.