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Assessing Students’ Language Proficiency: A New Model of Study Abroad Program in China

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jinghuiliu{at}fullerton.edu.

	Abstract

This article describes a model that integrates an at-home preparation intensive summer program with a short-term, study abroad summer program to increase students’ Chinese-language proficiency, cultural awareness, and personal career development. The results indicate that the at-home preparation program can build students’ self-esteem and confidence and subsequently allows them to benefit from interacting with native speakers during their study in China. This model program also assesses students’ multiskills language proficiency, including listening, oral, reading, writing, cultural competences as well as their personal development by combining measurement instruments of the SAT Chinese scores, the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI), and portfolio writing. The results demonstrate a positive relationship between the scores of the SAT Chinese and the level of the OPI test. The cutoff scores for participants’ selection for designing study abroad programs are also suggested.

First published on June 9, 2009
Journal of Studies in International Education 2009, doi:10.1177/1028315309337953


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