East or West, home is the best?: a comparative study of reading proficiency and strategy use on learners with and without study abroad experiences

Resumen

Previous research has shown that generally the learners who studied in foreign countries outpaced their peers in domestic contexts in terms of productive language proficiency, but used fewer strategies. This study explored the effects of study abroad on receptive proficiency and strategies in reading forms of undergraduate students majoring in Spanish. Proficiency test and strategy questionnaires were administered to students, who were first divided into 2 groups: at-home and study-abroad; the later was then subdivided into 3 subgroups according to the host country. The results showed that the study-abroad group’s reading proficiency was significantly higher than at-home group. Additionally, they used similar strategies. Significant differences of proficiency and skills were also found among students who studied in Mexico and those who studied in Spain or other countries. This study supported that study-abroad generally has positive effects on reading proficiency and the differences among host countries’ programs have become a decisive factor.